It's Dangerous to Go Alone
by Peace Kitty-Kat
Summary: The land of Hyrule was at peace until Link and Zelda met a stranger forewarning them of danger ahead. Now, a new evil is rising, and our hero and princess travel together to defeat it. Yet, everything may not be as it seems. A/N: This story may push the rating a smidgen.
1. Chapter 1

Rated T for swearing, violence, and suggestive themes.

Set after Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask.

 **A/N:** I don't care if you believe that theory about Link dying in the Lost Woods after Majora's Mask and becoming a Stalfos. In this story, he lived, and made it back to Hyrule in one piece. If you want to believe he's dead, then go right ahead. Just don't bother trying to convince me, because I don't believe it and I never will.

Also, I'm incorporating some parts of the non-canon manga in here as well. So, if something doesn't make sense game-wise, then it's most likely in the manga. Anything else is only part of this story.

 **Blanket Disclaimer:** I only want to have to say this once. Remember, in all chapters, I don't own the Legend of Zelda. All rights are reserved for Nintendo.

 **Chapter 1**

We set our scene in the peaceful land of Hyrule, where the sun beams down upon the grass and treetops, bringing warmth to all who step into its rays.

It was just the beginning of the summer season, therefore, the heat was beginning to affect everyone.

The residents of Castle Town bustled about happily, however, chatting with whatever friends they happened to pass by, while some families travelled to Lake Hylia to cool off in the water.

Our tale, however, brings us to Kokiri Forest, where the sound of horse hooves snapping twigs and crunching leaves can be heard at the edge of the foliage. Emerging from the thicket, the chestnut colored mare known as Epona trotted happily, carrying her companion atop her back.

Her companion, of course, was none other than Link, the green clad Hero of Time.

When the sun's light hit his face, he shielded his eyes with his arm until they adjusted to the brightness. He had spent most of the day in Kokiri Forest, enjoying the company of his forever youthful friends.

At one point, Link had wandered into the Lost Woods to be alone with his thoughts.

There had been something on his mind recently, or rather, some _one_ :

Princess Zelda.

Just thinking of her made Link's heart race. It's been eight years since Ganondorf's defeat, and Link was sent back in time. The both of them were eighteen now, and Link's feelings for Zelda were stronger than ever.

 _Today's the day_. He had thought to himself. _I'm going to tell her I love her._

He had risen from the stump he was sitting on, and was prepared to leave, when something caught his eye.

Growing by the stump, were white orchids, Zelda's favorite flower.

 _These are perfect. She'll love them._ Link thought. He didn't hesitate to carefully pick the delicate plant.

Afterwards, he exited the Lost Woods. He walked back into Kokiri forest. He said goodbye to all of his young friends, and walked across the bridge that led to the entrance. Waiting just inside the entrance was Epona. He mounted her and they left.

When his eyes finally adjusted to the sunlight, he realized the sun's position in the sky.

"Damn! I'm gonna be late!", he said aloud. He spurred Epona with his heel, and let out a sharp "Hyaa!", signaling for her to take off.

They raced across Hyrule field to the drawbridge resting over the moat that separated the field from Castle Town's outer wall.

As they neared the gate, Link slowed Epona down to a slow trot. They stopped, and he dismounted Epona, letting her roam free. Link crossed the bridge, and headed towards the castle. _Zelda's gonna kill me._ , he thought. He looked at the orchids he held in his hand. _Looks like these are going to be more of an apology gift._

As he went through the market, Link noticed a booth that sold flowers. _Maybe if I add more flowers, she'll be quicker to forgive me._ He stopped in front of the booth.

There was a middle-aged woman running the flower stand. Link recognized her as one of the residents of the Castle Town. He recalled that her name was Asha.

"Good afternoon, Link!", Asha said.

"Hello, Asha.", he said politely.

"Would you like to buy some of my flowers?", she offered with a smile.

Link gave her a small smile and nodded. He looked over the large selection of various flowers, and finally decided on pink peonies.

"These will go wonderfully with those white orchids you have there.", Asha said. She began gathering a handful of the pink plant. "So who's the lucky lady? As if I didn't already know.", she said with a smirk.

Link's ears turned red. He smiled nervously. The entire town knew Link visited Zelda every day. Although, they all assumed he was only a friend to Zelda. Only he, Zelda, the king, and the sages remembered that he was the Hero of Time.

Asha giggled. "Princess Zelda will love them." Mary gave the flowers to Link.

He reached into his pouch to pull out a purple rupee, but Asha stopped him. "My treat.", she said.

Link smiled. "Thanks, Asha." He waved goodbye to her as he left. He made his way over the path to the castle gate, and was stopped by one of the knights standing guard.

"Halt!", the knight exclaimed.

Link immediately stopped, confused. It was unusual for him to be stopped at the gate. Zelda had assured that all staff were to allow him access. Then, the other knight walked over to stand next to his comrade.

He flipped up his visor. It was a man Link knew by the name of Rizo. "Sorry, Link.", he said. He placed his hand on his comrade's shoulder. "It's Toka's first day. He doesn't know you're a regular."

The knight named Toka flipped up his visor too. "Oh! Terribly sorry, sir!" He bowed in respect and moved back to his post.

Link shifted uncomfortably. He still wasn't used to the high respect everyone held for him. Zelda had demanded that Link be treated as if he were her equal. Even though he felt that he wasn't.

"No, it's fine. You're doing a good job. Always make sure that everyone has clearance before letting them in.", Link advised the young knight.

"Thank you, sir!", Toka said.

Rizo turned back to Link. "Thanks. He was really worried that he wasn't cut out for the job."

Link smiled. "Anything to help."

Rizo nodded. "Now get going. I hear that the princess is getting anxious."

Link's smiled dropped. "Uh, right. Guess I'll be going then." He walked briskly through the gate, and through the courtyard, thankful he doesn't need to sneak around anymore.

When he came to the end of the courtyard, he stopped in the archway. In front of him was the very place he and Zelda first met. The sun shined brightly on the circular area, the flowerbeds were still blooming, and the grass cut neatly.

Link noticed none of this, however. All he could see was Zelda, who stood atop the steps. She seemed to be lost in thought, for she hadn't yet noticed Link standing there.

As he looked at her, all his breath rushed out of his lungs all at once. Maybe it was the way the light hit her, or thoughts of what he was about to do, but Zelda seemed exceptionally beautiful today.

Of course, Zelda was always beautiful to Link, but today, her beauty surpassed that of the goddesses. He wouldn't dare let the goddesses know that, for if it weren't for Forore's courage, Link wouldn't have even made it this far.

Everything about her was perfect. Her body type was shapely. Her golden blonde hair shimmered as a small breeze blew through it. Her face was flawless, and her cobalt blue eyes sparkled in the light. She wore her usual royal garb. The breeze moved the skirt of her dress just enough to see her small feet covered by elegant purple flats. One of her delicate gloved hands hung by her side. It was her right hand, the one that bore the mark of the triforce of wisdom. Zelda was wise beyond her years, but whether she knew how Link felt about her, she didn't show.

Link tried his best to catch his breath. With his heart hammering in his chest, he hid the flowers behind his back, and took a step forward.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

As Link stepped forward, he caught Zelda's attention, and she looked up.

"Link!", she called, eyes wide. She picked up her dress, and walked quickly over to him. She got in his face. She looked irritated. "You're late."

Suddenly, Link relaxed. He always found it easy to talk to Zelda. He didn't even remember why he was nervous. He cracked a smile. "Good afternoon, Princess."

She narrowed her eyes at him, and slapped his arm lightly. "How many times do I have to tell you to call me Zelda?"

He laughed. "I don't know, _Princess_.", he teased.

She stuck her tongue out playfully. Link laughed again. He always admired how Zelda didn't act formally around him. She would always tell him how tiring it was to keep up the act all the time, and how she was glad that she could be herself around him.

"Where were you?", Zelda asked. "I was getting worried." Link could clearly see the relief that flooded her facial features.

"Sorry, Zelda.", he said. "I got a little sidetracked." He pulled the flowers out from behind his back.

Zelda covered her mouth as she gasped in surprise. She quickly took the bouquet from his hand. "Oh, Link!", she exclaimed. "They're beautiful!"

Link grinned. "I knew you'd love them."

She placed a hand over her heart. "I _do_ love them. I really do."

Zelda then did something unexpected. She went up to Link and kissed his cheek. "Thank you, Link."

Link felt his ears burn. The last time Zelda had done that was when they had first met. When they were only ten. He tried not to stutter his next words. "You're welcome, Zelda."

Link suddenly remembered why he was nervous before. He cleared his throat and scratched one of his ears, a nervous habit. "Umm, Zelda?"

"Yes?", she answered, curiously.

Link swallowed, hard. "I-", he stuttered. He tried again. "I-", he choked out.

He sighed. _I can't do it._ He looked at Zelda. She was looking at him expectantly. He cleared his throat. "I..." He quickly thought of something else to say. "...was wondering if you'd like to walk with me to the Temple of Time. I like to go there from time to time, and I thought that you might like to accompany me."

Zelda looked down for a second. "Oh." Then she quickly looked at him, smiling. "Okay. That sounds nice."

"Alright then. Shall we?" He gestured towards the archway over the exit.

Zelda nodded and walked ahead of him.

 _I'm such an idiot!_ He facepalmed. _I can face dungeons and monsters fearlessly, but when it comes to matters of the heart, I completely lose my spine!_ He sighed. _Maybe I'll try again later._

He went to follow Zelda, but almost ran into her when he hadn't realized she had stopped. He managed to catch himself, however, and looked around Zelda to see why she had halted.

"Hello, Alastor.", Zelda said.

Link stepped around Zelda to stand beside her. He saw the royal advisor, Alastor, standing before them. He was a tall, middle-aged, man, with salt and pepper hair, warm, brown eyes, and a dazzling smile.

Alastor was very friendly. He didn't often have any feelings of hatred or disrespect for anyone. Zelda would always tell Link that if Alastor caught someone disrespecting another, he would give them a scolding they wouldn't soon forget.

Zelda also mentioned that Alastor had always been very fatherly towards her. If the king was too busy tending to his royal duties, and Impa was away, Zelda would spend time with Alastor. He had taught her a few things that her tutors couldn't.

 _Where_ is _Impa anyway?_ Link wondered. _I'll ask Zelda later._

Alastor smiled brightly. "Hello, Zelda.", he replied, obviously comfortable with skipping formalities. He turned to Link. "Greetings to you as well, Link."

Link gave him a small smile. "Good to see you, Alastor."

"Where are you two headed?", he inquired.

Zelda spoke up. "We were off to the Temple of Time."

Alastor's smile brightened. "Yes, I suppose it is quite a peaceful setting." He spied the bouquet in her hands. "My, aren't these lovely."

Zelda beamed and brought them up to his face. "Aren't they? Link gave them to me."

Alastor's eyebrows rose a little. "Did he, now?", he said while looking towards Link, whose face felt warm. Alastor then got a strange gleam in his eyes, and suddenly the side of his mouth quirked up in a smirking grin. "Well, isn't that nice of him?", he said.

He then quickly turned back to Zelda, the gleam in his eyes gone, and his brilliant smile back to normal. "Well then, how about I take these," He took the flowers from Zelda. "and have them put in a vase in your chambers, while the two of you head to the temple. Would that be alright?"

Zelda grinned at him. "Thank you, Alastor." Zelda grabbed Link's hand. "Come on, Link!" She began to pull him towards the exit leading out of the courtyard.

Link let her pull him along, for he was too lost in thought to move on his own. He thought back to the strange way Alastor had been looking at him. _What was that all about?_

Zelda pulled him across the entire pathway to the town, but as soon as they reached the gateway, she let go of his hand and straightened her posture, walking regally ahead of him.

Link recognized this behavior. Since they were leaving the privacy of the castle courtyard, and travelling into the town, Zelda needed act appropriately for a princess, which meant that she couldn't be seen dragging Link all about like a child with a toy.

Link trailed behind her, shoulders square, and jaw clenched. He was ready for anything. He always made sure to keep a close eye on his surroundings if the both of them were outside the castle walls.

While others thought that Link was just being a good friend, Link felt that it was his responsibility to protect Zelda. While that job publicly fell upon Impa, Link knew that Zelda trusted him to keep her safe as well. Especially since Impa was not present at the moment. Link still wished to ask Zelda about that.

He turned his attention back to their surroundings. He noticed the citizens of the town making a crowd near Zelda, and he was ready to keep them at bay if need be. The citizens, however, didn't get too close. Just close enough so Link could see the immense admiration for Zelda written all over their faces. They loved their princess, and held the highest respect for her.

That's when a sudden realization hit Link like a ton of cuccos.

 _She's a princess,_ Link felt his heart plummet. _and I'm only a commoner. I couldn't possibly have a relationship with her. It's not appropriate for a princess. I would be an insult to her honor._

Link was nothing if not honorable; and Zelda's honor comes before anything, even his love for her.

At that moment, Link looked at Zelda, and a painful ache developed in his chest, paired with immense sorrow. _Zelda can never know what I feel for her._

Although this emotional turmoil stirred inside of him, Link was determined to not let it show. His expression did not change whatsoever.

The two of them walked the rest of the way to the temple, and Link opened the door for her.

Zelda smiled at him, and proceeded. Link suddenly found that his spirits had been lifted. Just a small smile from Zelda could bring joy to Link's entire day.

 _While I know that I can never confess my feelings, I'll still remain by her side and continue to be her friend._ Link compromised.

Zelda walked up to the altar, where the spiritual stones had once resided. Link walked up next to her, and remembered that after he had returned the Master Sword to its rightful place, the stones had been returned to the sages that guarded them. Darunia and Princess Ruto had received their stones, and Saria now guarded the emerald.

 _Speaking of guarding…_ Link remembered what he wished to ask.

"Zelda. Where's Impa?", he asked.

She looked at him. "She had said something about hearing that trouble was brewing in Kakariko Village, and went to investigate. She should be back tomorrow."

Link nodded, then smiled at her. "Then I guess it's my job to make sure you're safe."

Zelda bit her lip, looking worried. "Actually, Link, I would like to ask you something."

Link's smile dropped now, concerned. "What is it?"

Zelda drew in a breath. "I was wondering if you'd like the idea of becoming my Knight Commander?"

To say that Link was shocked was an understatement. "Kn-Knight Commander?! Me?"

Zelda's face became tinged with pink, and she looked at the floor. "If you don't want to, you're free to decline the offer. I know this is a lot to take in and a huge responsibility to have." She began rambling.

Once the initial shock of it all was over, Link felt elated. He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Zelda." She stopped rambling and lifted her face to look at him. He smiled at her warmly. "I would be honored."

Relief flooded her entire frame. "I'm glad. I wouldn't rather anyone else for the job."

Link felt his smile widen. "It makes me happy to hear you say that, Zelda." Then his face became serious. "Is that legal though? Can I skip through so many ranks like that?"

Zelda giggled. "I'm sure my father can pull a few strings, seeing as how you're the Hero of Time, and saved all of Hyrule."

Link still wasn't quite convinced. "Do you really think I can do it? I don't have any experience leading an army into battle."

"I'm positive. However, if you still feel unsure, I can have the current Knight Commander tutor you before he retires next month."

Link felt reassured. "Thank you." He let a grin break out. "This is a great honor, Princess.", he said, half teasingly, half completely serious. He even gave her a respectable bow. "I would be very happy to serve as your Knight Commander."

Zelda rolled her eyes and laughed. "I'll let that slide this time."

Link chuckled. He rose, and immediately saw movement behind her.

He grabbed her wrist. "Zelda!" She yelped as he pulled her behind him. "Stay behind me." He drew the Gilded Sword that he kept strapped across his back, along with the Hylian shield.

Link looked ahead at a short figure cloaked in forest green. "Who are you?", he demanded.

The stranger pulled back the hood on his cloak. He was an elderly man. His long beard and bushy eyebrows that covered his eyes were white as snow. "Relax, Link. I mean no harm."

Link was not surprised that he knew his name. Instances like this often meant that Link was about to receive important information. He did not let his guard down, however. This old man could easily be a trap. "Who are you?", he asked again.

"My name is Elysis. I have travelled from a faraway land to bring you grave news."

"Wonderful.", Link muttered, sarcastically.

Elysis didn't seem to hear him. "I am a clairvoyant, and I have seen a terrible evil rising that will be more powerful than anything you've faced before."

Link heard Zelda gasp quietly. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, Princess Zelda. My visions have never failed to be accurate."

"Oh, no. Whatever shall we do?"

"Fear not, Princess. For I have also foreseen a way to prevent disaster from striking."

Link spoke up. "What can we do?"

Elysis turned his attention back to Link. "You must obtain the Master Sword again."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Alarms suddenly went off in Link's head. "What do you mean 'again'?"

Elysis held up a hand. "I know you are the Hero of Time, Link."

Link was taken aback. "How could you possibly know that? Only a select few people know what happened."

Elysis smiled. "Time has a strange way of working."

Link sheathed his sword. "Yes. I suppose it does." He stepped back next to Zelda. "What is this evil you speak of?"

"There is a sorcerer by the name of Talfan. He is after the triforce, and intends to obtain it by using powerful dark magic."

Link was not concerned. "Ganondorf could do the same."

Elysis shook his head gravely. "Ganondorf was a fool. Talfan has lived for many years. He has gained more wisdom than even you, Princess.", he said to Zelda. "He also has abilities of the mind. He can move items at will, and can stretch his mind to see and hear over great distances."

"Then, how do we know he isn't listening now?", Zelda asked, worried.

"Do not fret, Princess. The Temple of Time has a natural protective barrier against evil. Talfan cannot listen in on us while we're in here." He turned to Link. "However. Once you step outside these walls, you must not tell a soul where you are going, or why. Talfan will always be listening. This also means that you should leave immediately, so as to not raise suspicion among the people who live here."

Link nodded. "I understand."

Elysis moved towards the doors. "I must be taking my leave now. I shall be staying at the inn, but I will be here when you return for the Master Sword. Once you obtain it, I shall inform you on how to defeat Talfan. Until then, I wish you luck on your journey." With that, Elysis slipped out the doors.

Link turned to Zelda. "I must be taking my leave as well.", he said, albeit regretfully. "Goodbye, Zelda." Before he could stop himself, he took one of her hands, and brought it to his lips, kissing it gently.

He quickly released her hand, and turned abruptly to make his way to the doors, when he heard her say, "Link, wait!", and he felt her slam into his back, and wrap her arms around him.

The force made him stumble, and he almost fell over. He managed to turn himself around in her tight grip, and looked down at her. "Zelda? What's wrong?", he asked, concerned.

She took a few seconds before looking up at him. Her cheeks were stained pink. Her eyes were filled with worry. "It's dangerous to go alone. Take me with you."

"What?" Link was confused. Then, he turned serious. "Zelda, I can't take you with me. What if something happens?"

"I can handle myself, Link.", she said.

He smiled slightly. "I know you can, but I don't want you to _need_ to." She tried to look down, but Link caught her chin and directed her face towards his. "What if something happens to you? What would your people do without you?" _What would_ I _do without you?_ , he wondered. He focused on her eyes, and immediately regretted it.

Zelda's eyes were brimming with tears. Link watched helplessly as they began to fall down her face.

He brought her closer to him. "Oh, Zelda. Please don't cry." His voice came out soft and gentle.

Zelda buried her face in Link's chest. Link might have blushed if he weren't as focused on getting her to stop crying. "I'm sorry, Link. It's just-" She hiccupped. "what if you leave one day and don't come back? What if you need help while you're away, and there isn't anyone around?" She looked up at him. "I want to help. I'm tired of being confined within these walls. The last time I was actually making a difference was when Ganondorf was still at large, and I was fighting alongside you, was when I was Sheik, and I wasn't even conscious for that!" Her frustration was building. "Now it's been eighteen more years, and I haven't been outside the walls even once! I want to see the world! I want to go on an adventure! I want to feel free!" She buried her face in his chest again.

Link was speechless for a while after Zelda had stopped talking. Then, he spoke up. "Why didn't you ever tell me you felt this way?"

Zelda's muffled voice vibrated on his chest. "You would always say how dangerous it was out there. I thought you would turn down my idea without giving it second thought."

 _In all truth, I probably would have._ He sighed. He brought her face to look at his again. "Is this what you truly want?"

"Yes. Most definitely."

He smiled as he wiped a tear from her face with his thumb. "Then who am I to deny you what you want?"

Zelda gasped. "Really?"

Link's smile widened. "Sure thing."

She grinned and hugged him tightly. "Thank you Link!"

He began grinning as well. "No problem, Zel." He used her nickname. Then a thought dawned on him. "How are we going to get you out of the town without anyone noticing you?"

Zelda pulled away from him, with a red tint splashed across her face. "I already have something planned."

Link looked on curiously as Zelda used her magic to transform. It wasn't exactly a transformation, though. He was still seeing Zelda, but her clothes had changed.

She now wore an outfit almost identical to his. The only difference was that the tunic and hat were purple. Fingerless leather gloves covered both her hands; concealing her Triforce mark. Her hair had also changed. Instead of flowing freely, her usually curly forelocks had been tied in wraps, and the back had been tied around the middle and wrapped the rest of the way down. On her ears were silver rings, which replaced her gold triforce earrings.

Link smirked. "That's a good look for you. Have you been planning this?"

Zelda blushed harder. "Yes. I was actually going to follow you outside the walls after your visit today."

Link laughed. "Well I guess you were saved the trouble, weren't you? You need an alter ego, though. We can't just go around calling you Zelda. People are bound to put two and two together."

Zelda turned thoughtful. "Hmm... How about Hilda?"

Link nodded. "Perfect." Link pulled out his bow. "Do you know how to use one of these?"

Zelda took the bow from him. "Yes. I was taught when I was little. Just a short time before I met you, actually."

"Good." Link unstrapped his quiver and gave it to her. It was fully stocked with arrows. He held out his arm. "Shall we?"

She quickly strapped on the quiver, and slipped her arm around his. They walked out the doors into the bright sunlight. "While you're in disguise, people may still recognize you. Let's not call attention to ourselves. Keep your head low.", Link advised.

Zelda did as he said, and they set off through the town. They made their way through the alleys, trying to stay off the main road as much as possible. They made it to the outer gate and were relieved when they crossed over the drawbridge.

Zelda walked ahead of Link, and breathed in the fresh air. She laughed out and spun around to face Link. "It's been far too long."

Link frowned a little. "I'm glad you're happy, but I hope you know that the whole castle is going to freak out while you're gone."

Zelda laughed again. "I'll take care of it when I get back. Where are we going first?"

Link smiled at her. "We're going to the Lost Woods to see Saria."

Zelda was suddenly struck with realization. "On foot?"

It was Link's turn to laugh. "No. Of course not. We'll be riding on Epona."

"Your horse?", she asked. Link would always tell her about his travels with Epona.

"Oh! That's right! You haven't met her in person yet, have you?"

Zelda shook her head.

"Then I'll call her right now." He pulled out the Ocarina of Time, and began playing a tune that he had played several times before. It always reminded him of Lon Lon Ranch.

Suddenly, he heard Epona whinny, and she trotted up next to him, as if out of thin air. He pet her muzzle. "Hey, girl. I brought somebody special with me today." He walked over next to to Zelda, and nudged her forward.

Zelda cautiously approached the mare. She caught Epona's attention. Epona kept her face turned towards Zelda, eyes watching her.

Zelda extended her hand once she got close, and meant to pet Epona's muzzle as Link had, but she didn't get the chance.

Epona brought her muzzle down next to Zelda's cheek and nudged her.

Link, who had been watching quietly, grinned. "She likes you."

Epona nudged Zelda again, and she laughed. She pet her muzzle. "It's nice to finally meet you, Epona."

The mare whinnied happily. She galloped in a circle around the two of them, and stopped in between them. Link knew she was ready to ride. He mounted her and looked down at Zelda. "Ready to go?", he asked, holding out his hand.

"Yep!" Zelda took his hand, and he hauled her up.

"Hold on tight.", he told her. "She likes to go fast."

Zelda wrapped her arms around him. He snapped the reins, letting out a sharp "Hyaa!", and they were off.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Zelda was ecstatic.

Riding on horseback through Hyrule Field with her arms around Link gave a feeling that could only be described as exhilarating.

She was thrilled to finally be outside again. She loved feeling the wind through her hair. It was late noon, so she could feel the heat of the sun on her back as they headed southeast.

"Link, this is amazing!" She laughed. "I feel so alive!"

"I'm glad you're happy, Zel.", he responded.

He used her nickname again, making her even happier.

Zelda took in all her surroundings. She watched birds fly over their heads, and small animals running through the grass. Far off to the right, there was a ranch, which she assumed was Lon Lon Ranch.

They continued to ride until they got to the edge of a vast forest. Link slowed Epona down to a trot, and they entered through a large opening in the thick foliage. Link immediately stopped Epona.

"What is it?", Zelda asked.

"We actually have to go through Kokiri Forest to get to the Lost Woods.", he responded.

"Oh! That's wonderful! I've always wanted to meet the Kokiri. Why did you stop, though?"

"There's an entrance ahead that Epona is too big to go through. A few years back, she wasn't very tall, so she could fit under the small opening, but now she's much too large."

Epona snorted indignantly.

Link pet her neck. "Sorry, girl. I didn't mean it offensively."

"Then we go the rest of the way on foot?", Zelda asked.

Link dismounted Epona. "Yep." He held up his hand to her. She took it and he helped her off of Epona.

The two of them continued on until they came to a small drop-off where, sure enough, there was a wooden plank bridge leading to the other side.

Link led the way over the bridge and through another parting in the thicket. When they came out of the other side, Zelda gasped.

Before her eyes, she saw a small village in a large clearing. Scattered about the clearing were what seemed to be houses made from large tree stumps. She almost squealed when she saw small figures that appeared to be children running about with fairies trailing behind them.

Link turned around to face her and smiled. "Welcome to Kokiri Forest."

"This place is beautiful, Link! Is this really where you used to live?"

"Still do, sometimes. I was here earlier, actually. I could show you my house before we go to the Lost Woods, if you'd like.", he offered.

"I would love to see your house."

Link grinned. "Let's go then." He began to walk forward, but was stopped when somebody shouted "Link!"

They looked for the source of the voice, and saw a young boy running towards them. He had a green jumpsuit-like outfit on, which seemed to be what all the boys were wearing, and red hair that came down to his shoulders. Short bangs peeked out from under his green cap and fell just above his big, blue eyes. "Link!", he called again.

Link laughed. "Mido!"

The young boy, apparently named Mido, stopped in front of Link. "Link! You're back early!"

Link chuckled. "I've come back to see Saria."

Mido's face suddenly took on a grumpy expression. "What for?"

Zelda giggled. "Looks like somebody's a little jealous."

Mido's face turned bright red. He glared at her. "I am not! Who are _you_ anyway?"

"Hey! Watch what you say to her.", Link warned. "She's-"

"I'm Hilda.", Zelda quickly interrupted. "I'm a friend of Link's that travels with him sometimes."

"Yeah. Hi.", Mido said rudely. "Why are you here to see Saria?"

Link rolled his eyes at the boy's behavior. "None of your business, Mido."

Mido narrowed his eyes at Link and crossed his arms. "Fine. Don't tell me. I don't care." He turned on his heel and stomped off in the opposite direction.

Link pinched the bridge of his nose. "Sorry about Mido. He can be annoying sometimes." He looked at her. "Why did you stop me from telling him who you really are?"

"I'd rather we keep my real identity exclusive to just you, me, and the sages.", she explained.

He shrugged. "It's fine with me." He took her by the wrist. "Come on, _Hilda._ " He smirked. "I'll show you my house."

Link pulled her through the small village until they came to a small large tree stump with a ladder leading up to a small porch. There was a hole in the stump just above the porch.

"Ladies first." He gestured towards the ladder with a teasing smirk.

Zelda did the mature thing and stuck her tongue out at him. He chuckled, and she climbed the ladder.

When she went through the door, Link's voice came from behind her. "Welcome to my humble abode."

Zelda looked around at the one room house. Right in front of her, there was a small stump in the middle of the room. Behind that, there was a small bed that Link couldn't possibly fit in anymore, and above that, the only window. To her left, there was a small table with tiny chairs on either side. On her right, there was what appeared to be a wash basin. Along the walls beside the doorway, various gardening tools stood upright. Next to the window, there was a calendar that hadn't been changed in a long time.

She loved all of it.

"Oh, Link! It's all so cute!"

He blushed and scratched one of his ears. Something she noticed was a nervous habit. "Aw, come on, Zel. You're embarrassing me."

She went over to the bed and sat on it. "I can't help it. It's all so adorable." She gave him a teasing smile. "You were so tiny!" She laughed.

He walked over and stopped in front of her. He placed his hands on either side of her, bending down to meet her face with his. "Oh yeah? Well, who's the short one now?" He smirked. "I believe I've gained a few inches over you in the past years."

Zelda laughed. "That may be so, but…" As she looked into his eyes, she was suddenly conscious of how close their faces were. Her words died in her throat, her face growing warm. Link seemed to notice this as well, for he was no longer smirking.

She stared into his cobalt blue eyes, the same color as her own. His messy blonde hair fell on either side of his face, framing it like a portrait. She could feel his warm breath on her cheek. She inched forward, now staring at his lips; licking her own, which felt unbearably dry. She found herself leaning in closer and he was doing the same. They came closer and closer. Link tilted his head to the right slightly and was closing in until-

 _Chirp! Chirp!_

The both jumped apart. They looked for the source of the noise, and found a bird perched on Link's windowsill.

They both exhaled. Link's ears were completely red. Zelda figured that hers probably were as well. There was an awkward tension in the air now.

Link cleared his throat. "We should probably get going." He scratched his ear.

Zelda nodded. "We probably should."

Link exited through the door first, and Zelda went to follow, but she looked back at the bird still perched on the windowsill. _Damn bird._

Once Zelda descended the ladder, Link led her to the entrance to the Lost Woods. It was another parting in the thicket up on a small cliff. Zelda walked through it.

 _It's very dark._ Zelda couldn't see a thing. She waited for her eyes to adjust.

When they finally did, Zelda looked at her surroundings. _Well, this is problematic._

Before her were three passageways, one on either side of her, and one straight ahead.

"How do we know which way to go?", she asked Link, hoping to break the awkward silence that had developed between them.

Thankfully, it worked. "I've been through these woods many times before." He chuckled lightly. "I remember the first few times I attempted to make my way through. I got hopelessly lost."

Zelda looked at him. "I hope you know what you're doing."

He laughed. "Don't worry. I know this place like the back of my hand now. Just follow me, and _do not_ get lost. As long as you don't get lost, you'll be fine."

"What happens if I get lost?"

Link's smile dropped instantly. "You don't want to know."

With that, Link walked right through the right passageway. Zelda quickly followed suit.

They walked out into another clearing. This time, there were only two choices: left or right. Straight ahead, instead of another passageway, there was a drop-off blocked by a fence. Past the fence, there was a tree with only a single branch, and hanging from it was a short, thick log.

Link paid no mind to it though. He immediately turned left.

Zelda followed him to yet another clearing. This one had the original three choices: left, right, or forward. Only, the forward option was a large stone arch instead of a large hollow log.

 _That's rather obvious. Almost ridiculously so._ Zelda almost started forward, but then she saw Link turn right. Zelda ran to catch up with him.

"The forest likes to trick you.", Link told her. "Just because one passage looks different from the others doesn't mean that you should pick that one."

 _I was hoping he didn't notice..._ Zelda sighed. "Sorry."

He looked back at her and grinned. "Don't worry. I fell for it too. I ended up running into a wall in Goron City back when I was a child."

She giggled. He turned his attention back to where he was going, just in time to trip over a rock, yell out in surprise, and fall face first into a pond with a splash.

Zelda tried not to laugh. She really did; but when Link resurfaced, his hair soaking wet, and muttering a string of curses, she lost it.

She doubled over laughing. "Oh...my...goddesses! That...w-was...so...funny!" She managed to calm down enough to utter that sentence, but when she looked at Link again, her laughter increased tenfold.

She ended up falling over while clutching her sides. At this point, hardly any sound was coming out of her. She laughed to the point of tears. "Can't...breathe...", she managed to say.

By now, Link had emerged from the pool, and was looking down at her. "You think it's funny, do you?" His tone let Zelda know that he was a little annoyed. Unfortunately, she was too busy laughing to take it seriously. Link suddenly picked her up. "Let's see how _you_ like it!" He dropped her on her back in the pond.

Zelda gasped as she was suddenly drenched in cold water. She had underestimated how deep the pond was. She swam up, and inhaled air as her head broke through. "Link!"

It was Link's turn to start laughing hysterically. She narrowed her eyes at him. "Why the hell did you do that?!"

Link laughed even harder at her choice of words. Zelda knew he had never heard her curse before. "Now Zelda,", he managed to say. "that's no way for a princess to act.", he mocked.

"Damn you!" She was not happy.

This made him laugh even harder than _she_ had been. Tears were falling freely down his face while he rolled around in the grass.

Zelda yelled out in frustration. She got up out of the water, and sat down on the grass. She wrung out her hair, while muttering several curses.

Link eventually calmed down. "Aw come on, Zel.", he said, humorously. "You may think that me falling in the pond was funny, but you uttering foul words? _That_ was funny!"

She gave him a sour look. He let out another laugh, and gave her a silly grin. She rolled her eyes and tried not to smile. She failed.

She returned his grin. "You are so lucky that I can't stay mad at you."

"I guess I am." He got up and walked over to her. He extended a hand to her, and pulled her up. "Come on. Let's keep going."

He walked through the passageway that had been on the left when they entered that clearing. She followed. The next three clearings had been just like the one they went through when they first entered the Lost Woods. Link went straight, turned left, then right.

When they went through the passageway, they came out to another clearing, but this one had only one way to go, which was blocked by iron bars.

Link suddenly drew his sword and shield. "We are now in the Sacred Forest Meadow. Keep your guard up. There's a Wolfos around here somewhere."

Zelda nodded and removed the bow from around her torso, where she had previously secured it.

Link walked up to the iron bars, and suddenly a monster that looked like a giant wolf popped up out of nowhere. Link seemed prepared for it, though. As it was about to swipe at him with its large claws, Link stabbed the Wolfos while its guard was down. He tried stabbing it again, but his sword only glanced off of its arms as it shielded itself. Link then started stepping from side to side, waiting for the monster to attack. Sure enough, the Wolfos tried swiping at Link again, leaving its defenses wide open. Link stabbed the monster again. Once again, Link began stepping from side to side, but this time, the Wolfos started running around randomly, looking for a chance to strike. Finally, the monster sidestepped Link just quick enough to catch him off guard, and quickly made for his opportunity.

"No!", Zelda shouted. She quickly nocked an arrow and let it fly. The arrow flew straight through the Wolfos's chest cavity, killing it. It disappeared in a purple inferno, and the iron bars lowered.

Zelda sighed in relief. Link looked at her. "Thank the goddesses you were here. I would've been wolf food if it weren't for you."

"I'm glad I could help." She smiled.

"That bow will really help with the Dekus we'll be coming across. Usually I have to use my shield to reflect the deku nuts they spit out, and send them back to stun them."

"Now, I can just shoot them."

He nodded. "Right." He gestured towards the opening. "Let's go."

Zelda followed Link through what seemed to be a massive maze. There were Dekus at almost every turn. Once they saw one, she quickly took it out with a well aimed arrow.

Link and Zelda took several turns until they were suddenly met with a small pool of water. Link began to laugh. "I completely forgot that we need to go through this to get on the other side."

The look that Zelda gave him only made him laugh harder, so she pushed him in.

When Link resurfaced, he looked as if he were about to say something, but Zelda interrupted him. "Shut up and get your ass over to the other side." She lowered herself into the water.

Link laughed again. "What has gotten into you? Suddenly you've developed a mouth as foul as a sailor's."

"I learned from the best.", she replied, looking at him pointedly. She had heard Link let loose several curses before. She never had a problem with it, however. There were several times before where Zelda had almost slipped up and uttered a foul word. She tried her best not to though, for it was deemed unladylike.

"Oh, so now it's my fault?" He smirked as he swam over to the other side and lifted himself out of the water.

"Yes." She swam over to him. "I hadn't even known a few of those words existed until I heard them fly out of your mouth."

He hauled her up out of the water with a laugh. "That doesn't mean you have to use them. Why _are_ you suddenly using them anyway?"

She shrugged. "I guess it's because I _can_ use them now. I'm not forced to act like a princess at the moment."

He rolled his eyes. "Just make sure I don't get blamed for when the princess of Hyrule suddenly has a foul mouth."

"Oh please. I have self control, Link."

He just shrugged. "Whatever you say, Zel." Then he started walking. "Come on. It's time for you meet Saria."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Zelda followed Link up a stairway. She was excited to meet Saria. Link spoke highly of her, often telling stories about how they would play together when he was a kid.

Zelda hadn't actually met Saria. Nor any of the sages for that matter, save Impa of course. She could only sense their presence, and vice versa. None of the them have seen Zelda either. The sages had remained awake after Ganon's defeat, however, and they went about their normal lives, but they would be there to help save the day again if need be.

As they reached the top of the stairway, they came into a clearing, and Zelda saw ancient ruins of an old temple. _This must be the Forest Temple._

There was a large hexagonal platform right in the middle of the clearing. It had the mark of the Triforce on it.

What really caught her attention, however, was a small girl, with hair as green as her outfit, sitting on a stump playing a wooden ocarina. She had a fairy flying around her, just like all the other Kokiri.

Link stopped in front of the platform and pulled out the Ocarina of Time. He began to play.

Zelda realized it was the same tune that the Kokiri girl was playing. It sounded cheerful and magical, as if the woods had been singing it themselves.

Zelda watched them play, entranced by the notes.

Eventually, they stopped playing. "Link." The girl smiled. "It's good to see you."

Link returned her smile. "Hi, Saria."

Saria looked over at Zelda. "Who's this?"

Link stepped back beside her. "Saria, this is Zelda."

Saria's eyes widened. "The princess of Hyrule?"

Zelda smiled. "Yes, but it's just Zelda right now. I've decided to take a break from being a princess for a little while."

Saria giggled. "I suppose it must get tiring after a while."

"Tell me about it."

Saria turned her attention back to Link. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

Link frowned a little. "Unfortunately, it's not a social one. We need the Spiritual Stone of the Forest."

"Link needs to obtain the Master Sword again.", Zelda continued. "We met a clairvoyant named Elysis, and he told us of a terrible evil rising that would be more powerful than anything Link's faced before."

Saria nodded. "I have felt a strong sense of evil looming lately. I will help in any way I can to keep Hyrule safe." She placed her ocarina next to her on the stump, and cupped her hands together. They began to emit a green light, and suddenly, a large emerald with gold curling around it appeared in her palms.

She rose from the stump, and walked up to the both of them. "Be safe." She gave the emerald to Link. She then walked back over to the stump, and sat down. "You both had better be going. The sooner you get the Master Sword, the better." She smiled. "It was nice meeting you, Zelda. Perhaps we could meet again when Hyrule _isn't_ in danger."

Zelda returned her smile. "Perhaps. Oh, and Saria?"

"Yes?"

"About my identity. Keep it a secret to everyone, okay? If anyone asks about me, I'm Hilda, Link's travelling friend."

Saria giggled. "Okay."

Both Link and Zelda waved goodbye to her, and made their way back to Kokiri Forest. Mido was still in a sour mood, so they didn't bother saying goodbye. They walked out of the forest, and back to where Epona had been waiting patiently.

Link mounted her, and pulled Zelda up. Link snapped the reins, and they set off north.

The sun was low in the sky. It would be dark soon.

"Where are we headed now?", Zelda asked.

Link took a minute before answering. "The Zora's Domain." His tone was flat.

His tone confused Zelda. _I wonder what's wrong?_ Zelda didn't ask, however. They rode in silence.

Soon, a large river came into view. Link stopped Epona, and they dismounted. Link continued to stay silent. Zelda followed him along the riverside, jumping on ledges and defeating enemies, until they came to a large waterfall.

They stopped on the small stretch of land in front of it. Link took out his ocarina. He looked at her, smiling. "Remember this song?", he said, finally breaking the silence. He began to play.

Zelda smiled as she realized he was playing her lullaby. It comforted her, washing away all worries she had. "Of course I remember it.", she said as he finished playing.

She watched as the waterfall separated to reveal a hidden entrance.

She looked at Link. "I can't believe that _you_ remember it."

He looked at her incredulously. "Are you kidding? It was my favorite of all the songs I learned. It reminded me of you."

Zelda felt her face warm. She smiled brightly at him.

Link seemed to realize what he just said. His whole face took on a pink hue, and he scratched one of his ears. "Uh, anyways, all we need to do is jump in this entrance. Then, we'll be in the Zora's Domain."

Zelda nodded, still smiling, and jumped across the small gap. Link followed.

She let him lead her through all the twists and turns of the cave, until they came to a large cavern. The first thing she saw was a very large Zora wearing regal clothes sitting on a ledge across from them.

"King Zora." Link addressed the large Zora, his tone serious.

"Hello! What brings you here?", the king spoke to him jovially.

"We wish to see Princess Ruto. We have important business which must be discussed." His tone was tense.

King Zora was completely oblivious to the tension, however. "She is at the Zora's Fountain."

"Thank you.", Link said curtly. Zelda was completely baffled by his behavior.

He turned back to her. "Follow me." He turned right, and Zelda followed him up a set of stairs that curved around to the ledge that King Zora sat on. Link made another right through the gate, and they walked through the exit.

===============================Link==================================

( **A/N:** ^This represents a change in point of view. I don't quite know _how_ to put actual line breaks in the story, so I will be using this instead. I don't usually change it in the middle of a chapter, but I would rather this part be in Link's point of view. It will be short. I just want to let you know how Link feels about this situation.)

Link was in trouble.

Zelda was about to meet Princess Ruto. The same zora princess that believed they were betrothed, and to be married, showing their undying love for each other.

Except Link didn't love Princess Ruto. To make matters worse, Zelda had no idea about any of this.

 _This is not good._ Link led Zelda through the exit leading to the Zora's Fountain. _This is one hell of a mess I've gotten myself into._

They walked out of the cave and into the shallow water of the fountain. Link looked ahead at the large platform that was there. He could already see Princess Ruto standing there.

He sighed, and began to walk forward, his legs feeling as if he were wearing his iron boots.

Both he and Zelda continued to walk up to the platform, until they caught Princess Ruto's attention.

She turned to them, and her eyes widened when she saw Link. "Link!" She ran up to meet him. "I'm so glad to see you!"

"Hello, Ruto.", Link said, barely keeping back the bite in his voice.

Ruto caught it however. She took on a pouty expression. "Is that any way to greet your fiancée?"

Zelda immediately spoke up. " _Fiancée?_ "

"Shit.", Link muttered.

Zelda looked at Link in disbelief. "Link? What is she talking about?"

Ruto seemed to just now notice Zelda. "Why, Link and I are too be married, of course."

"When was this decided?"

"When Link saved me from Jabu Jabu's belly, I offered him the engagement sapphire, and he happily accepted it."

Zelda stared at him with wide eyes. "Link, is this true?"

Link pinched the bridge of his nose, annoyed. "I did save her, and I did receive a sapphire from her, but it was the Spiritual Stone of Water. I never did such a thing as accept her marriage proposal."

Ruto chimed in. "Link, you don't have to lie to her. You may wish to spare her feelings, but we are going to be married soon. You can't have this girl believing you are up for grabs."

Then, Zelda did something that utterly shocked Link. She got up in Ruto's face. "What if Link doesn't _want_ to marry you?"

Ruto was taken aback at first. Then, she became angry. "How dare you? Of course Link wishes to marry me! Who are you to say he doesn't?"

Zelda took a step back and astounded Link again. She used her magic to change back into her royal garb. When she completed the transformation, she had a look on her face so fierce, that it sent shivers down his spine. "I am Zelda. Princess of Hyrule."

===============================Zelda=================================

( **A/N:** Actually, I might do this more. It all depends on what I feel like doing.)

Zelda was pissed.

She was completely flabbergasted at the outrageous claims this Zora princess made.

 _Who is she to claim Link as hers? It's obvious that he doesn't feel the same about her. Why does she keep persisting?_

Zelda wanted to put this princess in her place. So, she was mildly satisfied when Ruto backed up a little when she saw Zelda's true form. Either that, or the extremely angry look Zelda was directing towards her.

"I will ask again." Zelda said. Her voice was dangerously low. "What makes you think Link wants to marry you?"

Ruto looked frightened. She turned to Link. "Link? You do want marry me, don't you?"

Link sighed, still obviously annoyed. "No. That's what I've been trying to tell you all this time."

Ruto looked at him dejectedly. Zelda thought she might start crying, and part of her pitied the Zora princess. _It feels horrible to get your heart broken, but that's what happens when you attempt to steal my first love._

Yes, Zelda loved Link. She realized this long ago. Zelda had always held a certain affection for him, but it wasn't until their thirteenth year that she realized her true feelings. For five years, Zelda had longed for him, and she had thought about confessing to him, but any time she even thought about it, she would shy away.

 _What if he loves someone else?_ , Zelda often thought. _What if he only sees me as a friend?_

That was the last thing on Zelda's mind right now, however. The only thing she could think about was Ruto trying to force herself on Link, and he clearly didn't like it. She felt anger bubble up inside of her. Zelda was jealous. She wouldn't admit that, though.

Ruto sighed. She looked between the two Hylians, and smiled sadly. "I should have known you weren't here to see me. You've never been very happy to see me. You've always been looking for someone else." She looked pointedly at Zelda.

"I think I know what you were really here for. I've felt an evil looming. You'll need this for the Master Sword." She then cupped her hands together as Saria had, and a blue light illuminated her face. Then, what appeared in her hands looked more like three small sapphires encased in gold rather than one single sapphire.

She gave it to Zelda. "I'm very sorry, Zelda. I know he's not mine to have. Part of me just simply didn't want to believe it.", she said cryptically. Zelda understood, however. "Perhaps we can be friends one day."

Zelda took the stone and felt her expression soften. "Thank you, Ruto. Perhaps we may."

She handed the stone to Link, and used her magic to change back into her tunic. She silently waved goodbye to Ruto, and walked back through the Zora's Domain with Link in tow.

Zelda was quiet until they jumped outside the waterfall. Then, she exploded.

"How could you not tell me about that?", she almost shouted.

Link flinched. He obviously wasn't expecting her to turn her anger on him. He looked at her apologetically. "I'm sorry, Zelda. It just never seemed all that important."

She looked at him disbelievingly. "Honestly?! You didn't think that the fact you were _engaged_ was important?!" Her temper was flaring.

Link seemed to be getting irritated as well, and he raised his voice. "I was never planning on actually marrying her! I hadn't gotten around to telling her to call it off. I never took it seriously, and I don't see why you do!"

Zelda blinked. Link had never raised his voice at her before, and what he said brought something to her attention. _I have no business yelling at him over this. We aren't in a relationship, which means that Link is free to marry whomever he wishes. I have no say in it. Jealousy blinded me from this fact._

Realizing this made her feel terrible for yelling at him. She backed off, looking at the ground. "I'm sorry.", she apologized. She wasn't about to let her pride get the better of her, and ruin what they _did_ have. "I don't know what I was thinking." She walked past him, heading towards where they left Epona, but Link caught her arm.

She looked back at him, and his face was wracked with guilt. "You don't need to apologize I should have told you about this. You were concerned about my happiness weren't you? You knew I wouldn't be happy if I were forced to marry her."

Zelda almost smiled. _He's so clueless._ "Yes. I was worried how you would feel if you were with someone you didn't love.", she lied.

Then, Link suddenly pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her. "Thank you, Zelda."

Zelda didn't speak. She was too busy enjoying the feeling of his warm embrace. She wrapped her arms around his back, and sighed. _I wish we could stay like this forever._

Unfortunately, her wish was not fulfilled, for Link pulled away soon after. He looked at her. "Is everything alright now?"

Zelda already missed his strong arms around her, but she smiled at him and nodded.

Link gave her that dazzling smile that always made her melt inside. "Great! Let's get going. I can't wait for you to meet Darunia."

Zelda silently followed him to Epona, where they mounted the mare, and set off towards Death Mountain.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Link was worried.

Zelda had stayed silent for most of the ride. Usually, she would be so excited about everything around them, and asking him about almost everything, but now she wasn't saying anything.

 _Is she still upset about Ruto, or was it something I said?_ Link couldn't figure out why Zelda's mood was somber.

Something else was worrying Link as well. He looked up at the sky, and saw that the sun was very low. _It's going to be dark soon. I don't want us to travel at night._ He surveyed his surroundings, and he saw Lon Lon Ranch off in the distance. _I'm sure Malon won't mind if we ask to stay._

Link steered Epona's reins towards the direction of the ranch. The turn was abrupt enough to pique Zelda's interest.

"Where are we going?", she asked.

Link was so relieved to hear her voice again, he smiled. "We're going to find a place to rest."

"What for? Couldn't we just keep going?"

"If it was just me, yes. Except, I have you with me. It's much more dangerous to travel at night, and while I know that you are definitely capable of holding your own, I'd rather not risk either of us getting hurt. Plus, I'm going to take a guess and say that you don't skip nights of sleep often. You'd be very tired in the morning if you didn't sleep tonight."

"Don't be silly. I'm not tired." Just after she said that, Link heard her try to stifle a yawn.

He let out a small laugh. "Sure you aren't."

They continued riding, and were almost to the ranch, when Link felt Zelda slump against his back. He was alarmed by this. "Zelda?! Are you alright?" He looked over his shoulder and managed to get a look at her face. Her eyes were closed, but her face was relaxed. He let out a breath of relief. _She's just asleep._ He looked at her again and smiled softly. _She looks so peaceful._

Link reluctantly turned his face away from hers, and continued steering Epona to the ranch. When they finally entered through the gateway, Link stopped Epona just past the ranch house.

He managed to dismount Epona without letting Zelda fall off. He tried to shake her awake, but she only moaned softly.

He chuckled and reached up, pulling her off of Epona, and held her bridal style. This jostled Zelda awake just enough for her to hold on to him by putting her arms around his neck. She then rested her head on his shoulder and promptly fell back to sleep.

Link smiled down at her. He then went up to the ranch house door and kicked it, unable to use his hands to knock.

After a moment, the door opened. The person who opened the door was Malon.

Malon looked at Link with a smile. "Hello, Link." Then she noticed Zelda. She looked back at Link with confusion written on her face. "What brings you here so late? Who's this?"

He smiled. "This is my travelling partner, Hilda. We need a place to stay tonight. I don't want to burden you, but is there any way you can put us up for the night?"

Malon's eyes widened. "Oh!", she exclaimed.

"Shh! She needs her rest.", Link said. "I only need a proper place for _her_ to sleep. I can sleep in the barn if need be. I hope that's fine."

Malon took on a sheepish expression. "Sorry.", she whispered. "It wouldn't be a burden. She can sleep in my father's room upstairs. He was delivering milk, and probably fell asleep somewhere again. I'll show you up to it." ( **A/N:** I am aware that no such room exists.)

Link nodded and followed her upstairs. She opened the door and he followed her in. "She should sleep comfortably in here." She turned to face him, with a smirk. "You can sleep in here too. I won't judge." She winked.

Link's face burned. "Malon!", he hissed.

She giggled. "I'm just kidding Link."

He rolled his eyes, albeit humorously. He walked over to the bed, and was about to put Zelda down, when he heard Malon speaking again.

"You love her, don't you?"

Link looked at her, face still warm. The look on her face was sincere. "I can tell by the way you hold her close, and the passion in your eyes.", she said.

He sighed. "Am I that obvious?"

"No. You hide it quite well, actually. Only people who know the signs would be able to tell."

He nodded and looked down at Zelda. "Yes. I love her."

Malon smiled, yet she looked sad. "I knew it, but I have a feeling _she_ doesn't."

"Not a clue."

"Why don't you tell her?"

He sighed again. "It's... complicated."

Malon shook her head. "That always seems to be the problem." She backed out of the doorway. "Goodnight, Link. I hope you find a way to tell her."

Link watched as she shut the door. Once she was gone, Link looked down at Zelda. _I hope so too._

He went to lay her down on the bed. He lowered her on the mattress, and realized that Zelda was still holding onto him firmly. He tried to pry her arms from around his neck, but her grip was tight. He didn't want to pull any harder, for he might hurt her.

He sighed once more. _There's only one option left, and she's gonna kill me for it when she wakes up._

Link managed to lay Zelda mostly on the opposite side of the bed, and then lowered himself down next to her. They were lying face to face. Link studied her relaxed features. _She's so beautiful. I wish we could stay like this forever._ He kissed her forehead. He might have imagined it, but he could swear that he heard her sigh in her sleep. He gave her one last smile before drifting off to sleep.

===============================Zelda==================================

Zelda woke up feeling refreshed.

She slept a dreamless sleep, which she hadn't done in years. Usually, nightmares and strange dreams plagued her sleep, but last night, she was at peace.

Now, however, she felt very warm. There was also something heavy weighing down one of her arms and her hip.

Zelda opened her eyes. Only to be blinded by harsh sunlight. _What is pinning me down?_

She received her answer once her eyes had adjusted to the light. It wasn't the answer she expected, however.

Zelda's breath hitched as she saw Link lying on the bed right in front of her. She noticed that she had her arms locked around his neck, which prevented her from withdrawing one of them. She looked down and saw that one of his hands had found its way to her hip. She felt her face heat up. _This is highly inappropriate!_

Yet, when she looked back up at his face, she felt herself melt inside. His face was relaxed as he slept soundly. His usually tightly drawn eyebrows now merely sat above his eyes. His mouth was slightly open as he snored softly. Zelda sighed, as she found the sound soothing. His messy hair fell on his face, accenting his good looks even more. _He's so handsome._ She brushed a few strands of hair out of his face to get a better look and, unfortunately, woke him up.

His eyes opened slightly, not yet adjusted to the sunlight. He blinked several times before he opened his eyes completely. When he did, they opened wide. She saw his face grow red. "Umm, good morning Zelda."

She almost giggled at his sheepishness, but managed to put on a slightly irritated face. "You snore."

He gave her a bewildered look. "What?"

"I said you snore."

He looked mildly insulted. "I do not."

She was barely holding back her smile. "You do too."

"No, I don't."

"Yes, you do."

The exchange went on until Zelda finally caved. "Okay. You only snore a little."

Link rolled his eyes. Then he looked at her, and seemed to suddenly remember what position they were in. His face became red again. "Sorry." He tried to get up, but Zelda stopped him.

"No. It's fine." She smiled.

He looked very confused. "What? You're fine with this?" He gestured to how close they were.

 _This is it. I'm taking a step forward._ "Yes. I find it quite comfortable, actually. I haven't slept this well in many moons."

"Really?", he said, surprised.

She giggled and nodded. "Really."

One of his gorgeous smiles crept onto his face. "Anything to make you happy."

Zelda felt absolutely bubbly. She had her head in the clouds, thinking about how wonderful it would be if it were like this all the time.

She almost didn't notice Link calling her name.

"Zelda."

She looked at him, smiling. "Yes?"

"While I'm glad that this is making you happy, we need to get up and head to our next destination."

Zelda sighed. "Yes. I suppose you're right." She withdrew her arms from around his neck and sat up.

Link rose from the bed and stretched. Zelda rose as well and straightened out her tunic. She looked around the rather small room. "Where are we anyhow?"

"We're at Lon Lon Ranch. Malon let us stay in her father's room."

"Malon? I remember her. Whenever I went into town as a child, she would be in the square. We would talk often."

"Really? I don't remember that. Where was I?"

"You were off on that quest that you went on right after you defeated Ganondorf."

Link's mood turned sullen. "Oh, right."

Zelda didn't understand what made him so depressed every time she mentioned that. "You're still yet to tell me of that adventure."

He shrugged. "Nothing to tell." Zelda could tell he was lying.

She didn't press the subject, though. Instead, she opened the bedroom door. "Let's go downstairs."

She didn't wait for him to follow, in case he wished to be alone with his thoughts. He did follow, however.

When Zelda reached the bottom floor, she saw Malon sweeping the floor.

Malon looked at her. She stared, confused. "Now that I can get a good look at you, I feel like I've met you before." She walked up to Zelda, broom still in hand. She stared into her eyes. Malon's eyes widened. "Zelda?"

Zelda laughed. "Not much gets past you does it, Malon?"

Malon glanced at Link, who was standing behind Zelda. "Nope." She looked back at Zelda worriedly. "Why are you outside the walls? Is the castle in danger?"

Zelda shook her head. "I needed some time away from the solitary life of a princess. Link was happy to help me sneak out of the town."

Malon looked at Link again. "I'll bet he was." She turned her attention back at Zelda and put on a serious expression. "Zelda. A friend of mine is in love with a prince whom she is good friends with, but she's too scared to confess her feelings because she is only a commoner. She's afraid that if they were in a relationship, it would be overly complicated. What do _you_ think?"

Zelda was bewildered at this sudden change of topic, but she felt bad for Malon's friend. She was about to answer, but Link grabbed her arm. "Come on, Zelda. We need to be going." He tried to pull her towards the door.

She looked at Link incredulously. He looked irritated. She managed to wrench herself out of his grip. "Link! You're being quite rude. Malon asked me a question, and I intend to answer it."

Zelda turned back to Malon. "I think she should tell him anyway. For all she knows, he could feel the same way. Even though they would run into obstacles, such as disapproval from the king or queen, or arranged marriages, if their love is true, they'll be able to overcome it."

Malon smiled, as if she was satisfied with the answer. "That's very insightful, Zelda. Thank you."

"You're welcome, Malon. I'm glad I could help." She turned back to Link, who was looking at the floor, seemingly deep in thought. "Link." His head shot up. " _Now_ we can go."

He nodded stoically, and opened the door for her silently. She walked to the doorway. "Goodbye, Malon. It was nice seeing you."

She smiled. "You too, Zelda. Link?" He looked at her. She winked. "Good luck."

Zelda watched as Link seemed to forget what was troubling him, and he nodded. "Thanks, Malon."

They walked out the door. They both mounted Epona, and set off towards Death Mountain once again.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

They rode in the bright sunlight to Kakariko Village, and once they got to the entrance, Link dismounted and helped Zelda down.

"Why are we stopping outside Kakariko Village?", Zelda asked.

"We have to go through the village to get to the mountain trail.", Link answered.

"What if we run into Impa?"

Link suddenly remembered that Zelda had told him that Impa was in Kakariko Village investigating a possible threat. "We'll have to try our best to avoid her. Besides, she told you that she'd be back today, didn't she? Maybe she's already at the castle."

"I doubt she stayed there long, though. She probably set off again as soon as she heard I was missing to find me."

"Then there's no time to lose." Link led her to Kakariko Village.

They walked along the path and into the village, and Link immediately saw that something was very, very wrong.

Kakariko Village had been set aflame.

He looked around and noticed several houses and places on the ground were scorched. Some places were still on fire, with people working to put them out. The smell of smoke was almost unbearable for Link. He heard Zelda start coughing.

"What... happened here?", she managed to say.

He walked back next to her. "I don't know, but I'm going to find out." He took her hat off her head. "Use this to avoid inhaling smoke." He did the same with his.

They walked through the village, past half-burned buildings and blackened walls. There were still small fires everywhere, which they were careful to avoid.

They looked for a villager that didn't seem too busy. They found a man leaning against one of the better looking walls and looking very tired. Link walked up to him and lowered his hat from his face. "What the hell happened here?"

The man's eyes widened when he saw Link. "Link! It was horrible. We don't know how it got here, but it torched everything!" The man began rambling about the disaster. Link didn't have time for that though.

He took the man by his shoulders and looked him in the eyes. "What did this?"

"A Dodongo."

Link was taken aback. "A Dodongo did all of this?"

The man nodded quickly. "Go ask Impa. She'll tell you the whole thing!"

"Where is Impa?"

"She's in her house, tending to the little ones."

"Little ones?!" Zelda gasped. "Oh no!" She took off towards Impa's house.

"Zelda, wait!", Link called.

"Zelda?!", the man exclaimed.

Link didn't bother acknowledging him. He ran after Zelda.

She had already made it to the door before he caught up with her. She barged through the door before Link could stop her. "Impa?!", she shouted.

As Link entered the house, he saw that the large bookcases that usually lined the walls were replaced with small beds. All of the beds had sleeping children on them. Some of them, covered completely with a white sheet, and not moving.

To Link's horror, the rest of the children were all severely burned.

The sheikah they were looking for rose from her seat next to one child that looked much worse than the others. "Zelda?! What are you doing outside the walls? What are you wearing? Why are you _here_?"

Nobody had any time to answer Impa's barrage of questions before she turned her eyes on Link. She glared at him. "You." She stalked over, and grabbed him by his collar and pulled him up to her face. Link wouldn't have been ashamed to admit that he was scared out of his wits just then. Impa was a scary woman. "You kidnapped her, and dragged her here to show her this disaster." Link, who was at a loss for words, could only shake his head vigorously. Thankfully, Zelda came to his rescue.

"I asked him to help me get outside the walls, Impa."

The sheikah dropped Link, who promptly fell on his rump. "What are you talking about?"

Zelda relayed a summarized version of their adventure so far. She decided to leave out the part about Ruto, which Link was grateful for.

Impa listened to every word. When Zelda finished, Impa nodded. "I see."

Link decided that it was safe to speak up again. "Impa. What happened here?"

Impa was silent for a moment before she spoke. "A large Dodongo managed to get through the gate separating the village from the mountain trail. We found the guard's dead body next to the gate."

Zelda gasped. Link rose from the floor. "What happened after that?", he asked.

Impa looked to the floor. "It went on a rampage. It burned everything." She looked around the room at all the beds filled with children. "The children were outside playing when it happened. Some managed to get away with only minor burns, but others…"

Link looked back at the covered beds. He watched as Impa returned to her seat next to the child she was tending to earlier. It was a little girl. He was horrified as he saw the extreme burns and bandages covering her entire body. Her head was wrapped, showing no signs of there being any hair left.

"This one doesn't have long left.", Impa said sadly. She gently placed a hand on the girl's forehead, which caused her to wake up.

"Lady Impa…", the little girl croaked out. Her voice was raspy and sounded painful.

"Shh…", Impa cooed. "Go back to sleep, little one."

The little girl went into a coughing fit that wracked her entire body. "I… can't. Too… painful."

Zelda rushed up next to the little girl. She gave her a bright smile. "Hi there.", she said softly. "Do you know who I am?"

The girl shook her head.

"I'm Princess Zelda."

The girl's eyes widened. "Really?"

Zelda nodded. "Uh huh. What's your name?"

She coughed several times before she was able to answer. "Aryll."

Zelda placed her hand over Aryll's much smaller one. "That's a very pretty name. I came all the way here from the castle just to make sure you and all the other children get better."

"You did?", Aryll said.

"I sure did. With me is my friend Link. He made sure I got here safely just to see you." Zelda pointed to Link with her other hand.

Aryll looked at Link, who was watching the exchange sadly. He gave her a dismal smile. The girl looked at him curiously. She attempted to give him a smile, but it came out looking like a grimace.

She turned back to Zelda. "Princess Zelda.", she said weakly.

"You can call me Zelda, sweetie."

Aryll tried for another smile, but it seemed too painful. "Zelda. I'm so tired. I'm going to go to sleep now, okay?"

Link saw tears falling down Zelda's face. "Okay, Aryll."

Aryll closed her eyes. "Don't cry, Zelda. It was nice meeting you."

Aryll didn't speak again.

Zelda let out a sob as Impa covered Aryll's face with her bedsheet.

Link walked over to Zelda and placed a hand on her shoulder, pulling her to him. She cried into his tunic. Link shed a few tears as well.

"She was so young…", he heard Zelda's muffled voice say.

Link swallowed. "I know, Zel."

They stayed like that for some time while Impa tended to the other sleeping children.

At some point, Zelda had stopped crying and just sat with her face in Link's tunic. Link knew she wasn't asleep, because her breathing was still uneven.

Once Impa decided it was appropriate to approach them, she walked up next to them. "There is something else."

Link looked at her attentively, and Zelda peeked from Link's tunic.

"Dodongos don't usually come this far down the mountain, unless provoked."

"What are you saying, Impa?", Zelda asked.

Link felt anger bubble up inside him. "She's saying that someone led it down here."

Impa nodded. "It was no accident, either. The guard's body had stab wounds which were probably meant to be covered up by burns."

"Someone planned this.", Link said. He was clenching his fist so hard, it began to ache.

"Who would do such a thing?", Zelda asked.

"I don't know," Link answered. He let go of Zelda. "but I intend to find out." He walked towards the door.

"Link, wait.", Zelda said. He turned to see her walking to him. "I'm coming too."

He nodded and locked gazes with Impa. She nodded, sending him a silent message. _Keep her safe._

He turned on his heel and walked out the door. They walked through the burning ruins of Kakariko village, Link's fury building with every step. "I'm going to find the bastard that did this," Link said, seething. "and when I do, I'll make him regret ever coming to Hyrule."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

As they neared the gate to the mountain trail, beside the gate, he saw a white sheet covering a bloody mass of what he could only assume was the assassinated guard. Link looked back at Zelda, whose face was pale as she stared at it.

Link grabbed her hand and pulled her through the gate. "I hate to say it, Zelda, but if Hyrule were to ever go to war, you would be seeing much more of that. I'm not saying you need to become accustomed to the concept of violent death, but you certainly can't live in fear of it."

Zelda didn't say anything, but Link felt that he had made his point. He slowed to walking pace, still holding her hand. He wasn't inclined to let go, and it seemed she wasn't either.

They continued through the mountain trail. Link knew they were approaching a dangerous area. "Be careful.", he warned Zelda. "There are several Tektites ahead."

She nodded, and they kept walking. Sure enough, after a few steps there were Tektites hopping their way. To Link's surprise, the number was quite large.

 _Why are there so many of them?_ Link slashed at a few with his sword, but that hardly made a difference.

"There's too many of them for me to fight on my own. I need your help.", he told Zelda.

He heard the sound of an arrow being nocked. "Aim for the eye in the center, if you can."

The words had barely left his mouth before he saw three Tektites in a row taken down. All of them with an arrow in the center of the eye.

He looked back at Zelda, amazed.

"What?", she asked.

"That was some outstanding precision!"

She gave him a bashful smile. "It was nothing, really."

He was impressed. "That isn't what I call 'nothing'. That is truly quite the talent you have there." He turned back to the mass of Tektites still charging at them. "Keep it up." He cut through them with his sword, while Zelda shot arrow after arrow, hitting the mark every time.

Soon after, the Tektites' numbers were dwindling. Then suddenly, out of nowhere, one of the bouncing enemies jumped from a ledge above Link and attacked, grazing his right arm with its spiked appendages.

Link yelled out in pain, but he managed to kill the Tektite. He grasped at his shoulder where the pain was originating from. When he pulled his hand away, the leather was stained with the crimson color of his blood. Through the pain, he heard Zelda's voice calling to him.

"Link! Are you alright?!" She ran over to his right side. She looked at his wound, and her eyes grew wide. "You're bleeding!"

"I'll be fine for right now, Zel.", he reassured her. "It's not my sword arm. We need to keep going. There's not many of them left."

She looked at him, worried. "Are you sure?"

He gave her a cocky grin. "I'm sure. It doesn't even hurt that much.", he lied. The pain was searing, but he would live for now. _I'll be damned if I'm going to give her something else to worry about._

Zelda pursed her lips, but nodded. "Fine."

They both went back to fighting. Link tried his best not to move his wounded arm. Whenever he moved it, the already torn skin pulled and created more gashes.

Finally, after fighting tirelessly, the last of the Tektites were destroyed. Link breathed out heavily with exhaustion. He looked at his right arm and grimaced. His sleeve was soaked with blood.

Zelda rushed to his side. She lifted up the sleeve of his tunic, and looked at the sleeve of his undershirt. Link could see through the tears in the bloodsoaked fabric. Deep gashes trailed from his shoulder to his elbow.

Zelda whimpered. "Oh, Link. This looks bad."

He shrugged his left shoulder. "I've had worse."

She narrowed her eyes. "I don't care.", she said crossly. "Take off your tunic."

Link looked at her, his face flaring. "What?"

"I said take off your tunic. I'm going to treat your wound."

He looked at her skeptically.

"I can do it! I had Impa teach me. You'll have to take of your undershirt too, if you can. If you let the fabric keep sticking to it, it'll get infected."

Link sighed, dropping his sword and shield, and removing his hat and leather gloves. Reluctantly, he slipped off his scabbard, and unbuckled the belt on his tunic. He managed to slip the fabric over his head with one arm. Zelda pulled it off of his injured arm.

Link paused, but Zelda urged him on. "Now the undershirt."

She helped him with the right sleeve, pulling it carefully from the skin. Link managed to get it off.

Link now stood in the middle of Death Mountain Trail with only his leggings and boots on.

"Sit down.", Zelda told him. He did as he was told. She opened a small pouch that she had strapped on her hip. She pulled out a cloth. "I don't have any water, but I'll clean it out as best as I can." She began wiping across his wound.

A hiss of pain escaped Link's mouth. "Sorry.", Zelda apologized. She continued to clean the wound.

Once she was finished cleaning, she held up her hands to the wound. "I'll use my magic to help." Her hands began to glow, and Link felt a sudden warmth where the wound was. Then, as suddenly as it had started, the warmth had stopped. Zelda then unwrapped the bandage that she used to tie the back of her hair, and wound it around his arm. She tied it off tightly.

"There. That should be enough until you can get proper treatment."

Link gave her a small smile. "Thanks, Zel." He reached for his undershirt, but Zelda snatched it up before he could.

"Oh, no you don't. The fabric is covered in blood, which could soak through your bandages, and it's too tight to pull over them. Just put on your tunic."

He sighed. He reached for his tunic, and pulled it over his head with only a small amount of effort. He strapped on his belt, sword, and shield, and pulled on his leather gloves. He turned to Zelda, pulling on his hat. "Can we go now?"

Zelda seemed satisfied. "Yes."

So, they continued on their journey up the mountain trail, until they reached Dodongo's Cavern. The normally sealed cave entrance was wide open. Next to it, stood Darunia.

"Darunia!", Link called.

The Goron chief, who had been turned away looking at the cave, swiveled around in his spot to look at the two of them. His previously troubled face brightened when he saw Link.

"Brother Link!", he called. Darunia rushed at him with a speed he hadn't known Gorons possessed, and wrapped Link in a bone crushing hug.

Now, normally Link could withstand Darunia's power grip, but he just so happened to be squeezing his injured arm. Link yelled out from white hot pain shooting up his shoulder.

"Link!", he faintly heard Zelda call. "Darunia, he has an injury!"

Link felt the affectionate Goron drop him immediately. He landed spread-eagled on the ground.

While he was recovering, he managed to listen to the exchange between Zelda and Darunia.

"How did he get injured?", he heard Darunia say.

"We were ambushed by Tektites. One snuck up on Link and slashed his arm." He realized that Zelda was right next to him. She was most likely making sure he was alright.

"That's not surprising. There's been restlessness everywhere lately. Now, there's suddenly an abundance of monsters in the mountains. I felt a disturbance near Dodongo's Cavern, hence why I'm here."

Link realized that Zelda got quiet at the mention of a Dodongo. He managed to sit up. "Darunia. A Dodongo went on a rampage in Kakariko Village."

Darunia's eyes widened. "No. That's not possible. A Dodongo doesn't go that far down the mountain unless-"

"It was provoked.", Link finished. He relayed the depressing story to Darunia.

"That's horrible.", he said.

"Have you seen or heard anything strange lately?", Link asked.

Darunia shook his head. "Not I. However, the Goron that grows a bomb flower upon the cliff above us might have. Follow me."

Link rose from the ground, and the two Hylians followed the Goron chief further up the mountain trail, until they neared the entrance to Goron City.

They made a sharp left, and were met with the Goron they were looking for.

"Darunia! What do you need?", the Goron said.

"We need your help. Have you seen anything strange lately?", Darunia asked.

"Strange? Like what?"

Link spoke up. "Maybe a person. Most likely near Dodongo's Cavern."

Realization struck the Goron's face. "Yes! I have! There was a figure that was much too small to be a Goron near the cave last night. I tried to get a better look, but I suddenly felt very sleepy, and before I knew it, I had fallen asleep."

"Did you see any distinguishing features before you fell asleep?", Zelda asked.

The Goron scratched his head. "I remember a long, thin, white beard, a pointy red hat that covered their eyes, and a red cape. They also had a long stick with a glowing ball at the top." The Goron made a frustrated expression. "That's all I can remember."

Link nodded. "That means we're probably looking for a sorcerer." He turned to Zelda. "It could be Talfan." He nodded at the Goron. "You actually helped us out a lot. We can now ask someone in the village if they saw someone who matches your description."

The Goron returned his smile. "I'm glad I could help."

They all waved goodbye to him, and returned to the entrance to Dodongo's Cavern.

"Darunia, there's something else we need.", Link said.

"Oh? What would that be?"

"We need the Spiritual Stone of Fire."

"Ah. It would make sense to obtain the Master Sword." Darunia nodded. "I'll give it to you on one condition."

Link felt a sense of dread. "You're not going to make me go in there again, are you?" He pointed to Dodongo's cavern.

Darunia released a hearty laugh. "Of course not. I would like to know the details of your quest."

Link remembered something that Elysis had said. "Sorry, Darunia. I would, but it's dangerous to speak of it out in the open."

Darunia seemed confused for a moment, but then realization dawned on his face, and he nodded in understanding. "Fair enough. Then I would like to know who _she_ is." He gestured to Zelda.

Link suddenly realized that with all that had been happening, they hadn't had time to properly introduce her. "Her name is Zelda."

Darunia looked at her, surprised. " _The_ Zelda?"

Zelda nodded with a smile.

Darunia nodded. "It's very nice to meet you, Princess." He turned to Link, and held his arms above his head. Then, a red glow began to shine above his head. In the blink of an eye, the Spiritual Stone of Fire appeared. Darunia lowered it into Link's hands.

"Thank you, Darunia.", Link said. He put it away. "Could I ask you to keep Zelda's identity a secret? If anyone asks, she is Hilda, a travelling friend of mine."

Darunia nodded. "Of course."

"It was nice meet you, Darunia.", Zelda said.

"The pleasure is mine, Princess."

They waved goodbye to the Goron chief, and returned down the mountain trail.


	9. Sorry!

Hey there, guys. I'm sorry that I haven't been updating. I am currently in the process of moving out of my parent's house, so it might be a while before I post another chapter.

This is not a hiatus! I will resume writing shortly after I have finished moving. Have faith in me!

I'm sorry for the inconvenience, and I wish you all a peaceful day!


	10. Chapter 9

**A/N:** I'M BACK! Again, I'm sorry about the long delay, but things were getting rough at my house, and I took my cue to move out. It didn't take long to finish moving my things to my new place, but it took a while to adjust. I hope you guys can forgive me. I'll try my best to update as frequently as possible, but it may not be much because I have a job and other responsibilities now. I WON'T GIVE UP THOUGH. Trust me, we're all going to see this through to the end.

 **Chapter 9**

By the time the duo had returned to Kakariko, many of the flames had been put out. Zelda was glad they were able to work fast.

She was on Link's right side, so she could clearly see the blood soaking through the bandages on his arm. She bit her lip. "Link. Before we ask anyone about the man that was witnessed, I want to go back to Impa's so she can properly treat your wound."

Link grimaced, obviously opposed to going back in her house. "Do we need to? I'll be fine. I've treated my own wounds before."

She looked at him apologetically. "Sorry. I don't want to go back in there either, but yes, we need to."

He sighed heavily, but they continued to walk to Impa's house. Once they reached the door, Zelda opened it, and was saddened to see that a few more beds were covered with white sheets.

Impa saw them enter, and walked over to meet them. She immediately spied Link's arm. "What happened?"

"We were ambushed by a horde of Tektites.", Link explained.

Impa shook her head. "Just because I wanted you to keep Zelda safe, doesn't mean I want you to put yourself in harm's way."

Link shrugged, but Zelda saw him wince as he did. Impa seemed to catch it too. "Follow me.", she said. "I'll redress it for you."

They both followed her upstairs to her bedroom. She motioned for Link to sit on her bed while she fetched bandages, cleaning cloths, a bucket of water, and a bottle of red potion.

"Did you originally dress his wound, Zelda?", Impa asked, unwrapping the bandages.

Zelda shifted from one foot to the other. "I tried. There wasn't any water nearby, so it was a messy job."

Impa nodded, and surveyed Link's wound. "Yes, but it's actually very good for your first try by yourself. You were very wise to use your magic to help."

Link's eyes widened as he looked at Zelda. "First try? You hadn't actually done it before?"

Zelda looked at him crossly. "I have! Just not by myself!"

"Wait a minute.", he said. "Don't get cross. I was just surprised that you did so well for your first try. Most people end up making it worse before they can make it better." He smiled. "I know from experience. The first time I tried to treat my own wound, I ended up passing out from a high fever and was lucky enough to be found by a passing caretaker."

Zelda became sheepish. "Oh. Well, thank you."

Impa finished surveying the wound and rose from her place next to Link. Both he and Zelda looked at each other in confusion, until she came back with a needle and thread. Zelda's eyes widened. "Stitches?"

Impa sat back down next to Link. "I'll have to properly clean it first, but most likely." She placed the bucket under his arm, and wet one of the cleaning cloths with water. She began wringing it out so the water ran over the wound, washing away the blood into the water. Once she had rinsed the wound, she grabbed the bottle of red potion and dipped a part of the cloth in the liquid.

Impa looked at Link. "If you're as experienced as you say you are, then you know how badly this will sting. I trust you're able to stay quiet. I don't want you to wake the children."

Link nodded. Zelda watched carefully as Impa dabbed the gashes with the soaked cloth. She heard a grunt come from Link, and looked at his face. His jaw was clenched, and he appeared to be grinding his teeth. Zelda felt sorry for him.

She looked back at Impa and saw her dip another cloth in the potion. "I didn't know that red potion was used to treat wounds. I thought it was only ingested, and healed all wounds."

Impa talked while dabbing the wound. "No, it does not heal all wounds. Only some internal, and small external wounds. This one could possibly have been healed mostly by drinking it, but he would have needed to drink the entire bottle, which is wasteful. It's best to use as little as possible by using it to clean the wound."

"Why does it sting so badly?", Zelda asked, looking at Link's face, which was twisting up in pain.

"The medicine. Red potions are made from medicinal herbs, making it safe to drink, but still leaving an awful burning feeling when administered to a wound. Green potion can be used as a pain reliever. Keep in mind, however, when drinking green potion, you don't ingest the whole bottle. Drinking too much will make matters worse, making you sick. Drinking more than one bottle of red potion at a time will also give you a high fever." Impa finished cleaning the wound, and looked at Zelda, almost wearily. "Keep all of this in mind. I have a horrible feeling you'll be needing this information later on."

Impa looked back at Link's arm. "Good news, boy. You won't be needing stitches. The largest cut isn't too deep, and should heal up in a few days, but I still need to wrap it. If Zelda uses her magic to heal you again, the wound will close up significantly, but don't use it until later. We wouldn't want you to deplete your magic."

Link looked relieved. "That _is_ good news. We have news as well."

Impa looked intrigued. "Oh? Of what?"

"A Goron witnessed someone who could have possibly led the Dodongo to the village, and gave us a description."

"Anything would be good.", Impa said, wrapping Link's arm in bandages.

Zelda spoke up. "The Goron said that he saw a man with a long, thin, white beard, a red pointy hat, a red cape, and a magic staff. He said that he witnessed this on the night before the attack."

Impa tied off the dressings. "Which means that would've come through the day before yesterday. I would've been at the castle with you, Zelda. I wouldn't have seen him, but I know of someone who might have." She turned her attention to Link. "Do you know of the man that would always be sitting on the roof of a house?"

Link nodded. "He can see most of the village from there. Surely he would've seen something."

"Somehow, he's still sitting up there. The flames didn't reach him. Go talk to him."

Link nodded again. He got up, and waited patiently for Zelda to come with him, and she almost followed, but Impa stopped her. "Zelda, I want you to stay here. I'm going to teach you how to sew up that rip in Link's undershirt." She motioned to the white garment Zelda was still holding.

Zelda looked at Link apologetically. "Sorry, Link."

He looked down for a second. "Oh." Then looked up. "Alright. I'll be back soon."

She watched him descend the stairs, and watched him walk out the door.

"He's a clueless one, isn't he?", Impa said.

Zelda sighed. "Unfortunately." She looked at Impa. "Only because I'm too afraid to tell him how I feel. Besides, what if he loves someone else?"

Impa gave her a surprised look. "Looks like he's not the only clueless one."

Zelda was confused. "What do you mean by that, Impa?"

Impa shook her head. "Nevermind that." She took the bucket filled with water and Link's blood, and dumped it out a window. She then grabbed another bucket filled with clean water. She sat back on the bed. "Come here."

Zelda sat beside her on her bed, and Impa plunged the shirt into the bucket of water. She then took a large brush, and poured a strange concoction on it. She removed the shirt from the water and started scrubbing it with the brush. Zelda watched as the bloodstain disappeared. Impa plunged the shirt back in the water, and pulled it out.

"There. The bloodstain is gone. We'll have to wait a little while for the shirt to dry. Until then, I'll teach you how to sew using a scrap of cloth." She hung the shirt near the window, and grabbed a scrap of cloth. She ripped it in two.

Before Impa could sit back down, Zelda stopped her. "Could I have some bandages for the next time I dress Link's wound?"

Impa nodded, and retrieved a roll of bandages. She gave it to Zelda, and she put it in a small pocket on her tunic.

Impa sat down beside Zelda, and reached for the needle and thread. She then proceeded to teach Zelda how to sew the two halves back together. Zelda watched carefully.

Once she was finished stitching the scraps together, she then tore the seam out, making the cloth two parts of a whole once more. She gave them to Zelda. "Now, try it for yourself."

Zelda took the cloth and the threaded needle. She tried her best to mimic Impa's embroidery. Thankfully, she did quite well.

Once she was finished, she let Impa survey her work. Impa seemed satisfied. "Well done, Zelda. You did wonderfully."

Zelda beamed at her attendant. "Thank you, Impa."

The Sheikah nodded and looked towards the door. "He should have been back by now."

Zelda looked at her worriedly. "Do you think he's all right?"

"I'm sure he's fine." Impa walked over to where his shirt was hanging. "The ripped sleeve is already dry. Would you like to mend it?"

Zelda nodded. Impa brought the shirt over to her. Zelda then began mending the sleeve.

That's when Link barged through the door, startling her. She jumped and pricked herself with the needle. "Ow, shit!" She let the curse slip through her lips before she could catch herself.

Impa, whose attention had been focused on Link, whirled around to look at Zelda with surprise. "Zelda! Where did you learn such a vulgar remark?"

Zelda looked at Link, who had frozen in his tracks halfway up the stairs, eyes wide. Thankfully, he had the sense to change the subject. "We've got more important matters."

"Did you find out who it was on the mountain?", Zelda asked.

He nodded. "The man said he saw a figure matching the description walking through the village two nights ago. He said that he also saw two Poes flying behind him. He heard one of them address the sorcerer as Lord Talfan." Link's eyes flashed with anger. "He's already started wreaking havoc. We need to hurry." He turned to Impa. "The both of us will be leaving shortly."

"I would come with you, but I must look after the children.", Impa said.

Link nodded, and Impa went downstairs. He looked at Zelda expectantly. She huffed. "At least let me finish sewing your shirt."

He walked over and sat down next to her. He watched patiently as she mended the sleeve. Soon, she tied off the last of the stitching, and was looking at her handiwork. Satisfied, she gave the shirt to him.

"Thanks.", he gave her a small smile. He then unexpectedly removed his hat, belt, gloves, and tunic. Giving Zelda a full view of his upper body.

Zelda hadn't taken the time to actually look when she first treated his wound, but now she could see every edge and curve of his torso and arms. _Oh my goddesses._

She could very clearly see his toned abdominal and pectoral muscles stretching as he pulled his tunic over his head. She also saw small scars all over his chest, which she assumed were from past battles. As he lowered his arms, she remembered that his right bicep had felt firm to the touch. She figured that his shoulders were the same.

She looked past his shoulders at his hair, and noticed something she hadn't before. _His hair has gotten longer._ She saw a small amount of hair was pulled back by an elastic band. _From the amount that's pulled back, it must be past his shoulders. I didn't see that before. It's always hidden by his hat._

She must have been staring, because he looked at her. "What?", he asked.

Zelda's face grew warm. She quickly looked away. "Uhh, nothing." She continued to look away while he put his undershirt on, and then the rest of his articles of clothing.

Once he was finished, she heard him say, "Alright. Let's go."

She nodded silently, and followed him downstairs. They both waved goodbye to Impa, and walked out the door.


	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

They quickly left Kakariko Village. They saddled up and Link snapped the reins. He wanted to get back to the Temple of Time as soon as possible.

They stopped outside the gate, and dismounted. They ran over the drawbridge, and quickly made their way through the back alleys of Castle Town. Once again, they managed to avoid being seen. It helped that most people were in their houses because it was getting late.

They rushed to the Temple of Time, and barged through the door.

"Elysis!", Link called. He expected to see the old man already in the temple as he said he would be.

However, Elysis was nowhere in sight.

"He should be here.", Zelda said. "He said he would help us by revealing how to defeat Talfan."

Link looked around the temple. "Maybe he's still at the inn. Let's get the Master Sword first. Then we'll head there."

He took a step forward, and suddenly heard a loud _thwack_ , and the sound of something hitting the ground behind him. He whirled around and saw Zelda lying limply on the ground.

"Zelda!", he called. He began to rush forward, but then he felt a sharp pain on the back of his head. His vision swirled and faded to black.

When Link woke up, he didn't open his eyes immediately. He tested his other senses first.

The first thing he noticed was that he was tied up in a chair. _So we've been abducted._ He slightly tested the ropes that were binding him. They were tight, but left him enough room to move his hands just enough to grab something.

 _If I can find something sharp, I may be able to cut through them._ He waited to listen out for any noises of someone else being in the room. _I want them to think I'm still unconscious_.

He shuffled a little, and found that their captors had left him armed with all of his items. _I can't reach them, though._

When he didn't hear any shuffling or talking, he slowly opened his eyes. He quickly surveyed his surroundings. _Am I in a dungeon?_

Four stone walls surrounded him. On the walls were torches and pairs of rusted shackles. One pair had a skeleton hanging from it. Link was only mildly disturbed at the sight. He looked to his left. There was a steel door. _Most likely locked._ He looked to his right. The first thing he saw was a well. _If I can get free and find Zelda, we may be able to escape through it._ He tried not to worry about Zelda yet. _I can't save her if I can't even save myself._ He looked past the well. There were two iron bar cells in the corners of the room. The one on the right was empty. Link looked in the one on the left, and sucked in his breath.

In the cell, was King Daphnes. He was sitting on the floor with his head down, not moving.

 _Is he dead?_ Link shuddered at the thought. "Your Highness.", he called out quietly.

The king looked up, startled. Link let out a breath of relief.

King Daphnes looked at him. "Link? Is that you?"

"Yes. Where are we?"

"We're in the castle dungeon."

 _So that's where we are._ Link had been in the castle several times since becoming acquainted with Zelda, but never in the dungeons. It was one place he preferred to stay out of. "Who did this?"

"I don't know. The last thing I remember was being in my bedchamber, and suddenly something struck my head and knocked me unconscious. I woke up in this cell."

"How long have you been in here?"

The king scratched his beard. "I can't say for certain. No sunlight filters in here. If I were to make an estimate, however, I would say almost two days now. I think it was yesterday that you were brought in here. I didn't bother looking up when you arrived. I was trying to formulate a plan."

Link was shocked. "Has nobody noticed you were missing?"

"I believe our captor has taken precautions so it will go unnoticed. How did you get abducted?"

"Zelda and I were in the Temple of Time-"

"Zelda was with you?! What's become of her?", he asked frantically.

Link was about to tell him that he didn't know, when he suddenly felt movement behind him. His position prevented him from looking.

"Hello?", he heard. It was Zelda's voice.

"Zelda?", both he and the king called.

"Link? Father? What is going on?"

"Zelda, what are you wearing?", the king asked. "I didn't recognize you. Your face was hidden from my view. I thought you were one of Link's comrades."

"I _am_ Link's comrade." Zelda's voice came out slightly irritable. "I had joined him on his quest."

"Quest?" The king looked at Link. "What quest?"

Both Link and Zelda relayed a summarized version of the quest they were on to King Daphnes.

The king looked bewildered. "Is it possible that this sorcerer Talfan has already infiltrated the castle?"

 _Well, your security isn't exactly airtight._ Link thought. "It's possible. Talfan plans to take over the kingdom first, and then he'll conquer kingdom after kingdom, until he has the world in the palms of his hands."

"Right you are, boy."

Link whipped his head around to the dungeon's door. There, he saw a tall, thin, elderly man with a long, white beard. He wore a red robe with a matching red wizard's cap. In his right hand, he held a wooden staff that held a glowing white orb at the top. From where he was sitting, Link could see his eyes. They were cold and filled with hatred.

"Talfan.", Link growled.

The evil sorcerer smiled wickedly. "Yes. It is I, Lord Talfan. Our meeting has been long overdue, Link, Hero of Time."

Link glared at him.

Talfan wasn't fazed. "Pity it will be a short one." He laughed maniacally as he lifted his staff in the air. It began to glow brighter, making a loud humming sound.

Link felt his heart plummet. He had no way out. Even if he found some way to cut the ropes, there wouldn't be enough time for him to escape. There would be even less time to get Zelda to safety.

"Farewell, Link!", Talfan shouted.

"No!", he heard Zelda sob.

Link saw his life flash before his eyes. He saw himself travelling all over Hyrule just to save Zelda. He realized that he wouldn't have been able to do any of it if it weren't for her. He had loved her from the very second they first met. She was the reason for everything he ever did.

 _She deserves to know._ _If there's anything she deserves before I die, it's that._

"Zelda.", he said. "There's something I need to tell you."

"Anything.", she croaked.

There was no chance of him backing out now. He didn't care that they weren't alone. He used all the courage he had left to utter a single phrase:

"I love you."

"What?!", Zelda screamed. "No! Don't you _dare_ do this to me! Not when you're about to die!"

"Fear not, Princess Zelda!", Talfan exclaimed. "You will be next!"

"I'm sorry. I should have told you before now." Link lowered his head. His eyes were burning from the sting of tears. "I am also sorry that I have failed you."

"No, Link!", Zelda sobbed. "You haven't failed me!"

"I'm sorry, Zelda."

"NO!"

The orb on Talfan's staff flashed, and Link shut his eyes tightly, prepared for pain.

Yet, Link felt nothing.

He heard Talfan gasp. Link quickly looked over to the evil sorcerer, and was shocked to see the tip of a sword poking through his chest.

The sorcerer exploded into a black cloud. His staff fell to the floor. In Talfan's place was the person who had killed him, still holding the sword out.

It was Alastor.

"Alastor!", Zelda shouted with relief.

"Princess! Your Highness! Link! Thank the goddesses!" Alastor sheathed his sword and ran over to the king's cell. "I am so glad that all of you are alright!"

"We almost weren't, Alastor.", the king said. "You arrived just in the nick of time."

Alastor removed a key from his pocket and unlocked the cell door. "Yes, well, as the saying goes…" He let the king out. King Daphnes walked past him, and stretched. "Long live the king."

Then, quick as lightning, there was the sound of a sword being drawn, immediately followed by a sickening _shlock!_

Link's heart stopped as he watched the King of Hyrule's head fall to the floor.

"FATHER!", Zelda screamed. "NO!" She wailed heartbroken sobs.

Link could only look on in horror, as Alastor removed the king's crown from his detached head, and place it atop his own. Alastor looked at Link. "Fitting, no?"

Then, all of Link's anger burst forth at once. "You bastard."

Alastor smiled. "Yes, yes, call me what you like. That's all you _can_ do right now, isn't it?" He chuckled. "Some hero."

Zelda continued to wail in grievance of her father. Link glared at the evil man. "You'll never get away with this."

Alastor laughed out. "Don't you see, Link? I already have." He walked over to the other side of them. "I have complete control over the castle." He picked up Talfan's staff. "With this, almost every mind is mine."

Link was confused. "Almost?"

Alastor sighed. "Unfortunately, I can't control the bearers of the Triforce. Your divine powers block your mind from being corrupted."

 _Divine powers?_

"I also cannot control the sages." Alastor smiled deviously. "That is why I lured Impa away from the castle by unleashing a Dodongo upon the village."

Zelda stopped crying when she heard this. "That was you? How? People said they saw Talfan at the village."

Alastor tsked. "Zelda, honestly. I thought you were wiser than that. You still haven't figured it out yet?"

He lifted the staff, and exploded in a cloud of black smoke. When the smoke cleared, Talfan stood before them once again. "I _am_ Talfan." The cloud of smoke appeared again.

Now, Elysis stood in his place. "I am also the old man whom you met in the temple."

Link was dumbfounded. "You gave us false information so we would leave Castle Town without telling anyone. That way, nobody would know the princess was missing."

Alastor shook Elysis's head. "That is only half right. I had not anticipated Zelda leaving with you. I had expected you to make her stay here, where I could keep both her and the king captive, and wait for you to return, but yes, I am the one who gave you that false information."

More black smoke. Now there was a Hylian they had never seen before. Another explosion. Now he was a Goron. Yet another puff of smoke. Now, a Zora.

There was one more explosion, and Alastor appeared as himself again, smiling. "I am everyone." His smile dropped. "Well, not quite." He sighed. "As you may, or may not have noticed, all of those transformations were male. I cannot become anyone of a different gender." He clenched his fist. "I also have the same limitations as my mind control." He gestured to the two of them. "I cannot disguise myself as either of you, or the sages."

Alastor smiled again. "That cannot stop me, however. You have already seen that I was easily able to restrain the king. That is only a miniscule example of what I can accomplish."

Link narrowed his eyes at the former advisor. "Then why did you lock him up in the first place. If you are as powerful as you claim, then why didn't you have the king do your bidding, or worse, kill himself? Also, why are you telling us all of this?"

Zelda gasped. Alastor ignored her, and chuckled. "You are more clever than you let on, Link." "To answer your second question, it's because you both will die soon anyhow, and I wish to see the hope drain out of you as you know what is about to happen, but cannot do anything to stop it."

He laughed sadistically. "I suppose I should tell you that I can't completely control minds. I can't force them to do anything, but I can convince them to. All I must do is speak in their minds, and if even a small part of them believes it to be true, then I can convince them to do whatever I please. If I can present evidence that makes it seem even more truthful, then the spell is more powerful. For example, if I had been able to kill both the king and Zelda at once, then I could have framed you once you returned."

He smiled wickedly. "No matter. It is better this way." He stopped out of Link's sight, but he heard Alastor's voice coming from behind him, presumably in front of Zelda. "I can have more fun with you now.", he told her.

Hearing this sent Link into a furious rage. "Don't even _think_ about touching her! I _will_ make you regret it!"

"Hmm. Somehow, I doubt that.", he heard the taunting smirk in Alastor's voice.

Link couldn't see what Alastor was doing, but what he did next made Zelda scream. "Get the _fuck_ away from me!", she shouted.

Alastor laughed. Link heard his voice get closer to Zelda. "My, my. What coarse language. Good. I like it when they're feisty. It will be all the better to see that fiery spirit drain out of you as I kill you slowly and painfully, and hear your wonderful screams of agony."

Link felt Zelda jerk suddenly, and heard Alastor grunt in pain. He heard a thump on the floor, and loud groans.

"What did you do?", Link asked Zelda.

"...I kicked him.", she replied.

Link's eyes went wide. He knew what she meant. Despite the situation, he laughed. "Zelda, you never cease to amaze me."

"You can be amazed by me later.", she said. "Now is our chance to escape!"

"How?"

"Can you still use Din's Fire with your hands tied?"

"Yes. Why?"

"Use it!"

Link was horrified. "What? No! I'll burn you!"

"No! I can use Nayru's Love to protect myself! Burn the ropes holding you, and then use your sword to cut me loose! Hurry! Before he gets up!"

Link strained his mind to call for Din's help, and then flames engulfed everything around him. He could only pray that Zelda had already protected herself.

Link felt the the ropes that had been restraining him burn to ashes, and immediately shot up from the chair. He quickly turned around, and was relieved to see Zelda unharmed. He unsheathed his sword, and cut her ropes.

She rushed at him, enveloping him in a tight hug. "I was so scared."

Link returned her embrace. "Everything is alright now." He quickly let go of her, however. "We need to get out of here."

"Not so fast." They whirled around to see Alastor rising from the floor. "You two aren't going anywhere." He raised his staff, and Link could hear his voice resonating in his mind. " _Guards! Come quickly!"_

Link heard the clanking of armor coming their way. He quickly tried to think of a way out of this. His hand brushed against a pocket that held the ocarina. _That's it!_

He took out the ocarina, and pulled Zelda to him again. He played the Prelude of Light. _Please let this work!_

Suddenly, both he and Zelda were enveloped in a blinding light, and were transported out of the castle dungeon.


	12. Chapter 11

**A/N:** Heh… *nervous sweat drop* Sorry, but I warned that I would be posting much less frequently, despite the fact that I hadn't intended on taking _this_ long…  
Anyhow, I'll admit that this is the first time writing a scene like this, so constructive criticism only please!

 **Chapter 11**

Zelda felt Link let go of her as soon as their feet touched solid ground.

"We need to get out of the town as quickly as possible.", he said.

Link walked up to the altar, and placed the Spiritual Stones in their respective spots, and played the Song of Time.

Zelda watched as the Door of Time gradually slid open. Link didn't have time for it to open all the way, however. He rushed through the door as soon as there was enough room for him to slip through.

He sprinted up the steps and removed the Master Sword from its resting place. He sheathed it, and descended the steps with a troubled look on his face.

Zelda walked up behind him. "What is it?"

"I can't figure out what he meant by 'divine powers'."

"My theory is that he was referring to the blessings that the goddesses gave us. Such as my magic, and your ability to wield the Master Sword."

Link shrugged. "That may be. I still think it's something else, though."

She watched him unstrap his Gilded Sword. He held it out to her. "I want you to hold onto this. Use it only for emergencies. I know you can't properly swordfight yet, so don't use it as your main weapon. Stick with the bow."

She nodded and removed the bow from around her torso, and strapped the sword and scabbard across her back with her quiver.

"Also, it would be best if you kept the bow on your shoulder. You will be able to draw it faster. Since you're right handed, keep it on your left shoulder, so you can take it off with your right hand, and nock the arrow with your left."

She did as he advised. Then, she suddenly heard Alastor's voice resonating in her mind.

" _Attention Hyrule Castle Town residents! This is Alastor, the royal advisor. I have grave news. The king is dead."_ Zelda could hear several gasps coming from the town's center. " _Yes. I know. This is a terrible thing to happen, but the news is worse still. The king was assassinated. He was killed by none other than Link, who was under orders of Princess Zelda."_

Zelda gasped. Alastor continued his announcement. " _If you see Link and/or Zelda, you are to apprehend them immediately, and bring them to the castle. They have committed a crime of treason, and will be put to death. If you bring them in, you shall be paid handsomely. However, if you harbor these fugitives, you will be considered their accomplice, and shall share their fate."_

"No!", Zelda exclaimed.

" _There is one more subject I must address."_ , Alastor added. " _Since there is no rightful heir to the throne, I, the royal advisor, automatically assume the duties of the king. I wish for you, the citizens of Castle Town, and hopefully the rest of the kingdom, to accept me with open arms. I only want what is best for all of you. I promise to bring these ruthless killers to justice, and return peace to Hyrule."_

"He has no right!", Link declared.

To Zelda's horror, after Alastor finished his speech, she heard cheering from the town. "They believe him!"

Link grabbed her. "Then we need to leave quickly." He pulled out his ocarina and played a song she recognized as the Serenade of Water. They were transported out of the Temple of Time.

They touched down on a small island in Lake Hylia. This time, Link held onto her for a little longer. He looked down at her. "We should be safe for now." He smiled at her to reassure her.

His warm smile reminded her of something that he had said earlier.

She backed out of his arms, and gave him an angry expression.

He looked at her worriedly. "What's wrong, Zel?"

She pulled her hand back, and slapped him.

The sheer force whipped his head to his right. He slowly turned back to her with a very bewildered, and mildly hurt expression. "What the f-"

"That was for saying that you love me at the _most_ inappropriate time.", she interrupted, angrily.

Link looked as if he were about to say something, but Zelda slapped the other side of his face. "That is for taking so damn long to actually say you love me."

Link paused for a moment, and Zelda seized her opportunity. She rushed forward and wrapped her arms around his neck. She then sealed their lips in a passionate kiss.

Link quickly and fervently reciprocated. His lips were warm and soft. He wrapped his arms around her back and pulled her close in a tight embrace.

The kiss continued on for what felt like hours. Eventually, much to their displeasure, they had to stop for air.

Zelda looked at him lovingly. "That…", she said breathlessly. "is for finally saying it." She buried her face in his chest affectionately. He smelt of the forest. "You have no idea how long I've waited to hear you say that."

"Zelda." His voice resonated in his chest. He grabbed her chin, pulled her face up to meet his. His eyes were filled with adoration. "I love you."

Zelda could feel tears welling up in her eyes. "Oh, Link. I love you too."

Link leaned in and kissed her. Zelda could feel him pouring all of his passion and desire into the kiss, and she matched his enthusiasm with her feelings of devotion and intimacy.

Soon, he grew bold and licked her lips. She happily parted them to allow him access. It was a battle for dominance the instance their tongues touched, and Zelda was losing, but she didn't mind. It was all she could do to not melt away in his arms.

Kissing Link gave her such a blissful feeling that she never wanted to end. The way he always gave his all in everything he did for her made her heart swell. He was so sinfully handsome as well. His strong arms around her made her feel secure. His golden blonde hair was always messy, yet always fell in such an attractive way. His eyes always held the highest respect and loyalty to her, which she now realized were always filled with admiration. His smile always made her feel warm. She loved everything about him.

She moaned into the kiss as she tasted a mix of herbs and Lon Lon milk that had a strangely pleasing flavor. She felt Link smile into the kiss.

================================Link=================================

Link was in a state of euphoria.

He had always fantasized how it would feel to kiss Zelda, but he hadn't expected anything like this.

Her lips felt silky against his own, and she tasted of mint and raspberries, which he assumed she used to stain her lips. She was quick to let him taste her more as she opened her mouth further. Link quickly and eagerly took over, relishing the feeling of ecstasy it brought.

He couldn't possibly love her more. She was perfect in his eyes. He would always enjoy being around her. Her personality and charm made it impossible not to. She would always care for other people, whether they cared for her or not. She wasn't afraid to speak her mind either. Link loved how strong-willed she could be. Once she set her mind on something, there was no stopping her.

She was also stunningly beautiful. She truly did put the goddesses to shame. She was naturally clean-limbed; not a single flaw in sight. Her arms and hands were delicate, but not weak. Her golden locks were always styled perfectly without her even trying. As he had looked at her eyes, he saw that the cobalt blue pools were not only filled with happiness and kindness, as per usual, but were also swimming with endearment. Her lovely smile always brought light to his day and warmth to his heart.

He both felt and heard her moan into the kiss, which caused him to smile.

================================Zelda=================================

Zelda never wanted this to end, but much to her discontent, she needed to breathe. Link seemed to have the same need as well, for he was the one who broke the kiss.

They rest their foreheads together, and stared into one another's eyes lovingly; not saying a word.

Then, Link looked down at her jawline, and furrowed his brow.

"What's wrong?", Zelda asked.

He gently lifted her head by her chin, and looked at something. "You have bruises."

Zelda thought back to when they were in the dungeon with Alastor. Just before she had kicked him, he had gripped her face very roughly, and tightly. She wasn't surprised that there were bruises. "They're from Alastor. He had been holding my face just before I kicked him."

Link narrowed his eyes, and developed an angered expression. "I'll make him pay for everything he's done. I swear it."

Zelda lowered her head back down to look him in the eyes. She smiled sadly. "I know you will." She gave him a small peck on the lips, and wrapped her arms around him in an embrace. He returned it.

They stayed that way for some time before, Zelda's stomach decided to rudely interrupt the sweet silence by growling.

Link laughed out. "I suppose we need to find something to eat, don't we?"

Zelda smiled sheepishly. "I suppose so."

Link released her from their embrace. He took out his ocarina. "We can go back to my house. I always have a supply of fresh fruits and vegetables available. We'll need to backtrack through the Sacred Forest Meadow and the Lost Woods, though." He looked at her worriedly. "I don't want to travel through Hyrule Field. Alastor could have knights and bounty hunters already looking for us."

Zelda nodded. "I wholeheartedly agree."

Link broke out in another heartwarming smile. "Hold onto me."

Zelda happily obliged. Link played the Minuet of the Forest, and they warped away from Lake Hylia.

They rematerialized in the Sacred Forest Meadow, just outside the entrance to the Forest Temple.

Instead of letting go, Zelda pulled Link closer, and rest her head on his shoulder. She felt Link kiss her forehead, and sighed happily.

She then felt Link moving, and looked up at him, and saw him rubbing his cheek. "You slap really hard."

Zelda kissed his other cheek. "I'm sorry, but it's your fault. You should have told me how you felt before now."

"This is quite the development."

Zelda gasped, startled. She let go of Link, and they both turned to see Saria in her usual place on the stump. _I didn't think she would still be here!_

Link, however, was completely calm. "Hello, Saria. Sorry for this unexpected visit. Something terrible has happened."

Saria became worried. "What has happened?"

Link relayed the horrible events to his Kokiri friend. By the time he was finished, Saria looked appalled.

"Oh, no! The entirety of Castle Town is after the both of you now. What are you going to do?"

"Zelda and I are going to my house to create a plan of action."

"Plan of action?", Zelda and Saria asked simultaneously.

Zelda saw Link clench his fist, and looked at his face. She saw a fire in his eyes. "You will get your kingdom back if it's the last thing I do, Zelda."

"How? Alastor is going to turn the entire kingdom against us! You can't possibly think that you're going to take on Gorons, Zoras, Gerudos, and other Hylians by yourself! You'll be killed!"

"Yes, Link.", Saria added. "It would be very reckless to go up against such a vast number on your own."

Link looked to the ground. "I don't intend to go in alone. I already have an idea."

Both Zelda and Saria waited. Zelda became impatient. "Well? What is it?"

"I can possibly acquire reinforcements."

"From where?"

Link's face became troubled. "A place I had wished I never had the need to return to."

Zelda became worried. "What is this place?"

Link looked at Zelda with a haunted look in his eyes. "Termina."


	13. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

"Termina?", both Zelda and Saria asked.

Link looked at Saria apologetically. "Sorry, Saria. I can't tell you of Termina. If Alastor sends knights here looking for us, they may ask for information of our location, and try to force it out of you. It would be best if you didn't know where it is."

Saria nodded. "I understand. I hope I see the both of you safe again."

Zelda smiled. "Thank you, Saria."

"We will do our best.", Link said, and turned to leave, and Zelda followed suit.

"Link. Zelda.", Saria called.

They turned to face her again.

Saria smiled and placed a hand over her heart. "I'm happy for the both of you. I'm glad you two can still find happiness with each other, even in the darkest of times."

Zelda gave Saria a bright smile, and Link pulled Zelda close to him. He nodded to Saria, and they left.

On the way to Kokiri Forest, Link finally told Zelda of the details of his quest in Termina, which he had previously been adamant about not revealing.

By the time they had exited the Lost Woods, Zelda was dumbfounded.

"All of this happened to you while you were a child?", she asked, appalled.

Link nodded.

Zelda looked at him, mystified. "Link, you are incredibly brave. Any other child would have been left traumatized."

He looked at her wearily. "Thank you, Zelda, but it was indeed a traumatizing experience."

They walked to his house, and climbed the ladder. Zelda sat on the bed.

Link walked over to the table, and retrieved the bowl of apples and a jar of water that had been sitting on it. He brought them over to her, and sat down next to her.

Zelda realized that she hadn't eaten or drank anything since the day she and Link left to go on the quest. It was no wonder why she was hungry.

She took a few gulps from the jar of water, and picked an apple from the bowl. She bit into it. She swallowed the bite before speaking. "Thank you, Link."

Link, who had just bitten an apple himself, smiled with the food poking out one of his cheeks.

Zelda laughed at how silly he looked. She picked a seed out of her apple and flicked it at him. It hit him on the nose.

He blinked and scrunched up his nose. He swallowed his food and stuck out his tongue.

Zelda giggled. She stuck her tongue out back at him.

Link then surprised her by covering it with his mouth, stealing a passionate kiss. She felt her face heat up at his sudden audaciousness.

She could feel him smirking, which slightly irked her. _He thinks he's so sly._ She twisted her tongue around his, battling against him. _I won't let him win this time._

He pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her lower back.

She raised her hands up to his head, and took off his hat. She ran her fingers through his surprisingly soft golden hair.

He chuckled, which resonated in her head, and sent a wave of delight through her body. She sighed when he ran his own hands through _her_ hair, softly pulling out slight tangles as his fingers slipped from mid-length to her tips.

Somewhere along the way, Zelda still lost in the battle for dominance, but she was enjoying herself far too much to care. Link's hands were travelling just slightly farther down than before, when Zelda needed to stop for air.

She broke away, taking in a deep breath. She laid her head on his shoulder. _He is definitely bold. I suppose he's the bearer of the Triforce of Courage for a reason._ Zelda mentally berated herself for thinking that. _I wonder why he waited so long to confess his feelings?_

"Link?", she said.

"Hmm?", he answered. He continued to stroke her hair.

"I don't mean to be repetitive, but why did you wait until today to tell me that you love me?"

He stopped stroking her hair, and waited a moment before answering. "To be honest, I was quite nervous."

Zelda lifted her head from his shoulder and looked at him, surprised. "Really? Whatever for?"

Link smiled at her, almost bashfully. "I was convinced you only thought of me as a friend."

She smiled humorously. "Is that all?"

Link's smile dropped. "Well, no. It was at first, but then I realized something that gave me less confidence."

Zelda became curious. "What would that be?"

He sighed. "I realized how different our lives were." He placed a hand on the side of her face. "You are a princess, while I am merely a commoner, not even fit to tread the same path as you."

She felt a certain sadness as he said this. "Link, how could you say that? You are far from a mere commoner. You are the Hero of Time, bearer of the Triforce of Courage, conqueror of Ganon. You are the most important person in all of Hyrule. Especially to me."

He smiled sadly. "Yes. All of that is true, but that is only the case with all who actually remember." His hand slipped off of her face and grabbed one of her own hands. "To the rest of Hyrule, I am only Link, a Hylian who grew up as a Kokiri, and has befriended their beloved Princess Zelda. Even if the kingdom wasn't under the control of Alastor, they would frown upon you and I being together. They would find it dishonorable."

He rest his forehead on hers, and gave her an urgent look. "While being with you like this makes me happier than anything in this world, it is wrong for me to be doing this with you."

Link's words stung Zelda, and she could feel tears pricking at her eyes. Instead of simply giving in, however, she became frustrated.

She backed away from him slightly. "I don't care!", she almost shouted. "It isn't for them to decide whom I should love! I am responsible for my own heart. Only I can choose whom my heart beats for, and it beats only for you." She felt the warm wetness of tears falling down her face, but she didn't bother to swipe at them. "To them, you may be insignificant, but you are my entire world." She placed a fist over her heart and looked to the floor. "It does not matter what they think now, anyhow. I am a traitor in their eyes. I am no longer their beloved princess. I am the princess of nothing. I am worthless."

"You're wrong.", Link said fiercely.

Zelda looked at him in disbelief. "What?"

He grabbed her by her shoulders. His face had an angry expression. "Don't ever say that again. _Ever._ " He pulled her to him. "You are far from worthless. You are _my_ entire world as well. Without you, I would be nothing. This whole kingdom would be nothing if not for you. They are fools to have even a shred of doubt about that. That is why they fell under Alastor's spell. They believed that you would have me kill the king and the reason was that you felt he didn't think you were ready to lead. Nobody did. That is why they accepted Alastor with open arms. They are foolish." He moved her away slightly to look into her eyes. "You were right about one thing, though."

"What?", Zelda asked quietly.

"You are no longer a princess. You are to be a queen."

Zelda was in awe. "A queen? Me?"

Link nodded. "It is only right. Once you regain your kingdom, you will be the one to lead them."

Zelda thought it over. _Am I ready to be a queen? To lead a kingdom? What if I'm not?_ She looked at Link, and a sudden warmth washed over her. _As long as I have Link by my side, I'll have all the confidence I need._

She smiled. "I see. Well, as my first order of business, I say that only I can choose whom I love." She looked at him lovingly. "I choose you."

He chuckled. "Are you sure you can do that?"

She smirked. "I am going to be queen aren't I?"

He laughed out. "Yes. I'll make sure of it."

"Then, I'll make sure of _that_." She pressed a kiss to his lips.

It was a simple kiss. Yet it still held all their emotions and combined them into one embodiment of love.

Zelda ended the kiss, and looked at Link with newfound excitement. "Well, my courageous hero, how are we going to get my kingdom back? You had said something about acquiring reinforcements in Termina."

He rose from his seat and put his hat back on. "Yes, and we'll be leaving soon. First, however, we need to prepare."

Zelda was about to ask how, when Link lifted the small stump in the center of the room. Now curious, she walked over to find a newly uncovered hole. She looked down into it, and was amazed.

"The bottom half of the tree is hollow as well?", she asked.

Link smirked. "Wait until you see what's down there." He lowered himself into the hole by a ladder that that was on the side. "When you come down, bring the stump with you, and cover the hole. You and I are the only ones that know this is down here, and I would like for it to stay that way."

Zelda did as he said, and pulled the stump over the hole, and immediately found that she couldn't see. She continued down the ladder until her foot hit solid ground. "Link, it's too dark to see."

She heard his voice next to her, and jumped. "Hold on a moment."

She heard the sound of a bowstring being drawn, and suddenly, a red light glowed in the area around them. She looked over at Link, and saw him holding a small bow, the arrow that he nocked was a fire arrow.

He aimed at the other side of the room, and let the arrow fly. It hit a torch on the other side of the room.

The fire arrow lit the torch, and it illuminated the room. Zelda was in awe as she saw the contents of the room. "Link, what is all of this?"

"I had to put all of the items from my quest somewhere, didn't I?", he said.


	14. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Zelda saw two large piles of various items on either sides of the room. The piles were relatively the same size.

"We will be taking a few of these items with us.", Link said. She looked back at him, and he gave her a leather satchel with two small pockets on the front. He had one for himself as well. He walked over to a space in between the piles. He pointed to the pile on the left. "These items are all from Hyrule." He then pointed to the other pile. "These are from Termina."

He tossed the bow he had been holding back into the 'Termina' pile. Zelda realized that the bow was actually very small. Just big enough for a child to use.

Link began rummaging through the 'Termina' pile. "I will give a few things to you, and I want you to put them in your satchel."

"Okay.", she said. She watched as he pulled out some Magic Beans and Deku Nuts.

She was confused as to why they needed these. She took them, and looked at him strangely.

He shrugged, and she saw him wince. _His arm still needs to heal…_ "You never know when we might need these.", he said. "Put them in the small pockets on the front."

She placed the items in the satchel's pockets, and saw him pull out a strange lens of some sort. It was purple, with an eye in the middle.

"This is a Lens of Truth.", Link explained. "It lets you see things that you normally couldn't."

Zelda nodded, and placed it in the satchel. Link then pulled out a strange golden-colored device. It seemed to go over the user's hand.

"This is a Hookshot. It lets you grapple onto things such as wood, vines, chain-metal, and metal rings." To demonstrate, Link put it over his left hand, and pointed it toward the ceiling. Suddenly, a long chain with a barb at the end shot out of the Hookshot. The barb dug into the wood, and Link shot up towards the ceiling as the chain retracted. The second it finished retracting, the barb came loose, letting Link fall back to the floor. "It will be very helpful. Just let it take you with it. Don't resist."

She nodded, and he gave the Hookshot to her. She placed it in the satchel.

Link pulled out a large leather sack, and gave it to her carefully. It was very heavy. "What is in here?", she asked.

"Bombs.", he said simply.

Zelda looked at him with wide eyes. "Bombs?!"

"Don't worry. They won't explode in the bag. They only ignite when you use them. It's very strange actually. I never found out exactly how they suddenly ignite. Just make sure you aren't close enough to the blast."

Zelda pursed her lips, but placed the bomb bag in her satchel. "What else?"

"I believe there's one more thing from this pile for you." He rummaged around a little more. "Aha!" He pulled out another leather sack; only slightly smaller than the bomb bag. It had a small patch in the shape of a rupee stitched on it. "This is a Giant Wallet."

"The name definitely fits. How much is in it?", Zelda asked.

"Five hundred."

Zelda was shocked. "Five hundred rupees? That's quite a sizeable amount!"

Link chuckled. "You should see how much I have in my bank account in Termina." He gave the wallet to her.

She felt the hefty weight of the rupees. They made clinking noises as the bag was moved. She placed it in the satchel.

Zelda noticed that there were many masks in the pile. "Link, you told me of only four masks from Termina. What are all of these?"

He pulled out bottles from the pile. Seven of them. "Well, there were four transformation masks, and then there were masks that had special powers, and masks that helped me do smaller things, like ask about something."

He walked over to the 'Hyrule' pile. Zelda stayed at the 'Termina' pile, and began looking through the masks. There were several masks that had faces on them, which looked rather disturbing. She saw a cow's head, a frog, a hog, a fox, a bird, and even a postman's hat. She was looking through more of them, when one caught her eye. It reminded her of an opal in the way that it changed to several colors in the light. It had an elegant, white design design on the front.

 _It's beautiful._ "Link, what is this mask?"

He looked over at her, and noticed the mask. He smiled warmly. "That is the couple's mask."

Zelda smiled back at him. "I like the sound of that." She looked back at the mask. "I'm going to take it with us."

She felt his arms wrap around her from behind. "I was actually considering giving it to you as a present."

She laid her head back in the crook of his neck. "I love it."

"I love _you_.", he whispered in her ear.

She giggled. "I love you too." She kissed his jaw. She placed the couple's mask in her satchel.

She looked over to where Link had previously been, and saw a total of eleven bottles on the floor. "Link, why do you have so many bottles?"

He pulled away from her, and walked back over to them. "To carry things, obviously.", he said with a smirk.

She rolled her eyes. "No shit. Why do you need so many of them?"

He laughed. "I need to carry a lot of things."

Zelda shook her head. "You are hilarious.", she said sarcastically.

He grinned at her, making her smile. Then, he looked back at the bottles. "They just accumulated. I thought they could be useful again if I ever needed them, so I kept them." He gathered five of them. "Take these. I'll take the rest."

She took them and put them in the satchel. "I'm actually surprised that this satchel can hold all of these items."

He placed the other six bottles in his satchel. "It isn't surprising to me. I had to carry all of one pile at once."

Zelda nodded. "That's true."

Link pulled arrows out of the 'Hyrule' pile. They were fire arrows, ice arrows, and light arrows. "I assume you know how to use these?"

"Yes. I was the one who gave you the light arrows, after all." She took them and placed them in her quiver.

Link pulled a few masks from the pile. There was a Goron mask, a Zora mask, a Bunny Hood, and a Mask of Truth. "Take these. There is something I wish to test out when we get to Termina."

He didn't explain further, so Zelda took the masks, and placed them in the satchel.

"There's one more thing for you.", he said. He took the Hylian shield off of his back, and gave it to her.

Zelda took it, albeit reluctantly. "Won't you need this?"

He shook his head. He pulled another shield from the pile. It had a reflective surface surrounded by a red outer rim. "I'll be taking the Mirror Shield. I'll be able to reflect magic with it. I'll use it to protect us both." He strapped it on his back. He then began pulling items from the pile and placing them in his satchel.

He took out more Magic Beans and Deku Nuts, and placed them in the front pockets of his satchel. He pulled out another Lens of Truth, another bomb bag, and another Giant Wallet, which she assumed was filled to its maximum capacity as well. He then pulled out a strange metal contraption.

"This is the Longshot. It works just like the Hookshot, but shoots out further. Don't worry though. I was able to get through Termina using the Hookshot I gave you without any trouble, so yours won't come up short."

Zelda nodded, and watched him place it in his satchel. He then pulled out gauntlets that were made of gold.

"These are the Golden Gauntlets."

"Very creative name.", she said.

He smiled. "They allow me to lift extremely heavy things, such as rocks, or fallen pillars." He slipped them on over his gloves.

She watched him walk back over to the 'Termina' pile. He picked up the transformation masks he had told her about: the Deku mask, the Goron mask, and the Zora mask. He also picked up the Bunny Hood, the Mask of Truth, and one other mask she had looked over. It was very eerie. It resonated power. It made her shudder when she looked at it. It looked too much like Link. It had Hylian ears, and the same style of hair as Link had. The facial structure was the same. However, the hair was a green-white color, and there were markings all over the face.

"What is that one?", Zelda asked.

Link didn't answer immediately. He stared at it for a moment. When he did answer, his voice was quiet. "That is the Fierce Deity's mask. It transforms me into… a god."

Zelda didn't say anything immediately. She looked at the mask again. "A god?"

He nodded. "A vengeful one. I hope I don't need to use it." He placed the masks in his satchel. "I'm not myself when I wear it."

He didn't elaborate. He turned his attention back to the pile. He pulled out a notebook. "This is the Bomber's Notebook." When Zelda gave him a confused look, he chuckled. "I guess I somehow joined a club when I was in Termina. It was made up of a band of boys that were my age at the time. They made it their mission to help people all over Termina, but since I was the only one of them allowed outside the town, I was the only one who actually helped people. They kept me up to date on who needed to be helped. Their official name was the Bombers Secret Society of Justice."

Zelda smiled. "That's so sweet." She kissed his cheek. "You help people wherever you go, don't you?"

Link returned her smile. "It's just who I am."

She giggled. "So why are you taking it?"

He place the notebook in his satchel. "I don't know, really. Their club probably disbanded once they became adults, so I guess I just want to see how they're doing. I'll need proof that I was in the club, and all of the members had a Bomber's Notebook."

"Okay, then." She watched him dig through the pile, and he pulled out a strange box with a lens on the front. "What on earth is that?"

"It's a pictograph box."

"What is it?"

He smiled. "I'll show you. Smile for me."

She smiled, and a bright flash came from the strange device. She blinked rapidly. The light left an imprint on her retinas.

She saw Link looking at the back of the pictograph box. "Perfect.", he said. He turned it around, and showed her something, but she couldn't see it. She waited until her vision cleared, and looked at it again. She gasped. She saw herself, frozen in the pose she had been in when the light flashed.

"Link, this is amazing! How does it work?"

"There's a button on the top that you press, and it takes something called a photograph, photo for short. It's like a painting, but it mimics the actual scene without the use of paint. It can only hold one photo at a time, though."

"Is there any way to get it out of there?", she asked curiously.

He shook his head. "Not that I know of. I was hoping I could find a way one day, though."

"Maybe someone in Termina now knows how. You should take it with us."

He nodded and placed it in his satchel. He looked back at both piles of items. "I think that's everything. Let's go."

Zelda headed towards the ladder, but Link stopped her. "Let me go first. I'll check to see if it's safe."

She stepped aside, and he ascended the ladder. Once he got to the top, Zelda saw him raise the stump slightly, and she could see a sliver of light. Link looked around, and was apparently satisfied that it was safe, because he pushed the stump out of the way, and climbed out. Zelda climbed up after him.

As Link put the stump back in place, Zelda grabbed one of the apples from the bowl. She walked right out the door. Instead of descending the ladder, she jumped off of the ledge. She landed on her feet gracefully.

She turned around, and looked up at Link. "I suppose I should get used to jumping everywhere."

Link laughed and jumped as well. "If you're travelling with me, you can bet on it."

She giggled, and they set off to exit Kokiri Forest, but they were stopped by a familiar voice calling, "Link! Hilda! Wait!"

They turned around to find Mido running towards them. They waited patiently for him to stop in front of them.

"What is it, Mido?", Zelda asked.

Mido removed his hat, and looked to the ground. He seemed reluctant to say something, but his fairy rammed him in the back. He grumbled, and looked up at the both of them. "...I'm sorry."

Zelda saw Link cross his arms. "About what?"

Mido's face grew red from embarrassment. "For being rude to the both of you. Especially to you, Hilda."

Zelda smiled down at him. "It's quite all right, Mido. I forgive you."

"Well, if Hilda forgives you, then _I_ forgive you.", Link said.

Mido looked at them, eyes wide. "Really?"

They both nodded.

Mido gave them a large grin. "Thanks, guys." He ran off. "I'll see you later!"

Link shook his head. "Come on, Zel. We need to be going."

She nodded, and they exited Kokiri Forest.


	15. Chapter 14

**A/N:** Oh great goddesses please don't kill me! I know it's been forever since I last posted, but so many things happened, and I just couldn't get around to it! I'll spare all of you my excuses, and just say that I'll try my best to get this back to regularity again. Please forgive me and enjoy this long-awaited next chapter.

 **Chapter 14**

Link led Zelda across the bridge out of the forest, and just outside the entrance. He stopped her there. "I'll call Epona. I want to be in Hyrule Field as little as possible. We only need to find a certain spot in the thicket next to Kokiri Forest to get to Termina."

Link pulled out his ocarina, and played Epona's song. Soon, a faint and familiar whinny could be heard, and the chestnut mare appeared before them.

Zelda went up to her, and pet her muzzle. She held up an apple. "Here you go, girl." She fed the fruit to Epona.

She chomped on it, and let out a satisfied whinny. She nudged Zelda affectionately.

Link laughed. "I think she may have a new favorite. I should let you ride her by yourself sometime."

Zelda looked back at him. "Do you think I could?"

He grinned. "I'm sure of it." Then he remembered why they were leaving. "Right now, however, we need to leave. The sooner we get to Termina, the better."

Zelda nodded, and Link mounted his trusty steed. He pulled Zelda up, and spurred Epona. They took off towards southeast Hyrule Field.

"So, where is the entrance to Termina exactly?", he heard Zelda ask.

Link thought of a way to explain it. "Well, I don't know precisely where it is, but I know where to go."

"What?!", Zelda exclaimed.

He winced because she was shouting in his ear. "Well, it's kind of like, you're suddenly there. There's no obvious entrance. The very first time I went there, I had no idea how I'd gotten there. It was almost as if Epona took me there. Only when I left Termina, did I have a chance to look at where I had exited from. All I saw at first was a grove of trees, so I used the Lens of Truth that I had brought back with me, and I didn't see an obvious cave or parting in the stone, but I saw a light."

"A light?"

"Well, it was more like a glow. It was in between two trees. Nowhere else. It would be very easy to miss, which is why Termina doesn't get many visitors from Hyrule. I think it's a portal."

"A portal? Like a transporter?"

"Something like that. It's invisible to the naked eye. Anyone who would have blindly stepped through it, like me, would suddenly find themselves in a thick wooded area, with a treetop canopy that barely let any light through." Link realized that they were in southeast Hyrule Field. "We're actually nearing it now."

Link felt Zelda remove her right arm from around him. "I'm going to take out my Lens of Truth."

Link reached down into his own satchel on his left, and Zelda did the same on her right. He brought the mysterious object up to his face, and looked through it. Suddenly, off in the distance, he saw the familiar glow he had just mentioned. It manifested between two seemingly normal trees. He pointed to it. "Look Zel, there it is!"

Zelda gasped. "We're going _through_ that?"

He placed his Lens of Truth back in his satchel. "Yes. Put away your lens, and hold on."

Shortly after, he felt Zelda wrap her arm around him tightly. He snapped Epona's reins, and she sped up. He directed her to the two trees, but he had a feeling she already knew where he wanted to go. Epona went faster and faster, aimed at the space where the portal was, and just when it seemed they were going to pass right through and hit the stone wall, he heard Zelda scream, and suddenly, they weren't in Hyrule anymore.

Zelda, who had squeezed Link almost to the point where he couldn't breathe, gasped. "What is this place?"

Link took a deep breath, for Zelda had loosened her grip. "This is that wooded area I told you of. I believe it's a pathway between the two kingdoms. It also has a connection to the Lost Woods, but we couldn't go through there with Epona, and that path is much more dangerous to take."

"Alright, how do we get to Termina from here?"

"We just keep moving forward."

Zelda remained silent. They rode on in silence, until he felt Zelda hug him tightly again, and shudder. "Link, this place is eerie."

"I know, Zel. We'll find our way out soon." Link was desperately looking for landmarks. He didn't want to tell Zelda that this had been his first time back since he had left Termina eight years ago.

Thankfully, he noticed a familiar stump with light shining upon it. Upon closer inspection, he noticed the carving that had been made in the bark was that of him, Skull Kid, and the fairies Tatl and Tael.

 _I bet Skull Kid is around here somewhere. Maybe I should call out to him._ "Zelda. I'm about to call out for someone that I think is here, so don't be frightened."

She merely nodded.

He took a deep breath. "Skull Kid!", he shouted.

There was no response.

 _Maybe he doesn't recognize me._ "Skull Kid! It's me, Link!"

This time, he heard a familiar shuffling, like that of rustling leaves. "Link?"

Link looked towards the left of the stump. He saw Skull Kid poking his face out from behind it. He smiled. "Hey there, Skull Kid. Long time no see."

Skull Kid jumped out from behind the stump. "No kidding! It's been a while. You look a lot different."

"I got older."

Skull Kid shrugged. "Whatever _that_ means." He looked behind Link, and shrunk back. "Who is that with you?"

Link dismounted Epona, and helped Zelda down. He stood beside her. "I think it's safe to use your real name in Termina. I doubt anyone from Hyrule will find us.", he whispered to her. She nodded.

He turned his attention back to Skull Kid, who was still shrinking away from them. "She is Zelda. Don't worry, she won't hurt you. She's good, like me."

Skull Kid became intrigued. He shuffled up to Zelda, and sniffed her. Zelda gave Link a bewildered look. Link nodded to reassure her.

Skull Kid laughed. "She smells kind of like you, but different. She doesn't smell as much like the forest. More like flowers."

"Is that good?", Zelda asked.

"Uh-huh.", Skull Kid answered. He turned around, and called out, "Hey guys! It's safe to come out!"

Suddenly, Link saw two familiar fairies, one white, the other one purple, fly from behind the stump.

The white one flew straight at him. "Link!", a tiny female voice called out. She flew in circles around him.

Link laughed joyously. "Tatl! It's so great to see you!"

Tatl stopped in front of him, and then flew up and down, looking him over. "Link! You grew up!"

"Well, did you think I was going to stay a child forever?"

Link heard Zelda giggle. He turned around and saw the other, purple fairy, dancing around her. It seemed to be tickling her.

Tatl rammed into the other fairy. "Tael! Leave her alone!"

A small and familiar male voice sounded out. "Sorry, sis. She's really nice."

"It's fine, Tatl.", Zelda said. "I think he's adorable."

Link could swear Tael turned a shade lighter. "Umm… thanks."

Tatl flew back over to Link. "What brings you here?"

"We need to get to Termina. Hopefully in a safer way than when I first arrived.", Link said.

Tatl bopped him on the head. "No, duh! Why do you need to get to Termina?"

"It's a long story."

Skull Kid voiced his annoyance. "Ugh! I hate long stories. Tatl, Tael, you two lead them out of here. I don't want to leave the forest right now." With that, Skull Kid disappeared.

All of them were silent for a moment. "Okay.", Tatl said.

 _Let's get out of here._ "Tatl, Tael, lead the way."

"Will do!", Tatl said. She and Tael started to fly off. Link quickly grabbed Epona's reins, and Zelda's hand, and followed them.

Just like with the portal in Hyrule, they were suddenly in a different place. A very familiar one.

Link shuddered with anticipation and apprehension. _I have mixed feelings about this._

Zelda, however, laughed out joyously. "Link, this place is wonderful! What could be so bad about it?"

He looked at Zelda. "You aren't about to go through what _I_ did."

Tatl flew in front of her. "Welcome to Termina!"

Link looked around at Termina Field. They had wound up in the south; next to Milk Road. Not much had changed. _Except for the colossal moon that used to be falling towards the earth._

Link looked up at the sky, and sure enough, all he saw was a few clouds and the sun, which was very low in the sky. No creepy moon in sight. He exhaled in relief.

"What is it, Link?", Zelda asked.

He waved it off. "Nothing." He then turned his direction to the town in the middle of the field. "Let's head to Clock Town." He began to head north, but then remembered something. "Actually, hold on." He dug around in his satchel for his Bunny Hood. He brought it out, and turned to Zelda. "Take yours out too."

Zelda looked at him like she thought he was crazy. "Whatever for? Won't it just make me look ridiculous?"

Link put his Bunny Hood on. He felt the familiar sensation of being light on his feet. He looked at Zelda, who looked as if she were trying to hold back her laughter. He smirked. "Well, yes, I suppose it will, but I want to test something out."

"Okay.", Zelda said, humorously. She pulled her Bunny Hood out of her satchel, and put it on. She put her hand on her hip, and looked at him skeptically. "Now what?"

Link smirked. "Try to keep up." Without waiting for her reaction, he shot off towards Clock Town.

"Hey, wait!", he heard her shout. He looked back at her, he noticed that she began running, and then her face turned to that of surprise as she was running faster than normal. She let out a small scream.

"What's going on?!", she asked, frightened.

Link and Tatl laughed. Tael was too busy trying to keep up with Zelda.

They kept running towards the town, and eventually stopped just outside the entrance. Well, Link stopped. Zelda didn't appear to know how to. Link caught her before she hit a wall. "Woah there."

She let out a small "Oof!" as he stopped her. She looked at him. "What the hell was that?!"

Link chuckled at her choice of words. He removed his Bunny Hood from his head, and put it back in his satchel. "The Bunny Hood lets you run faster. I wasn't sure it was going to work, seeing as all of your masks are from Hyrule, but it looks like it did."

She looked at him incredulously. "You think?" She put up her Bunny Hood as well.

He laughed. "Come on. Let's go."

"Wait!" She stopped him. "What about Epona?"

Link looked back at where they had left the mare. "Epona can't go in the town. She'll be fine. She likes to roam around." He wrapped his left arm around around her, and pulled her closer. They walked through the gate.

When they came out the other side, Zelda gasped. "Wow."

Link smiled at her. "It's definitely different from Castle Town." He looked around South Clock Town. He noticed that the bridge tower was being built again. "Tatl?"

The fairy he called for flew in front of his face. "Yes, Link?"

"Is the Carnival of Time coming up?"

Tatl flew around his head. "Yep! You came back to Termina at just the right time! In two days, we'll be holding the carnival at midnight. It'll be just like last time, except we don't have to worry about rewinding time over and over again."

"There's also no moon threatening to crush us.", Tael added.

"I still can't believe that all of that happened.", Zelda said. "It must have been tedious to go back in time so much."

Link looked at her with a sarcastic smile. "Trust me. It was."

"It's quite the coincidence, actually.", Tatl said.

Link looked at the fairy. "What is, Tatl?"

Tatl circled him. "That you happened to pop right back into Termina on the same day you first arrived eight years ago."

He chuckled. "That _is_ very strange."

"Why _are_ you here anyways?", she asked.

Link cleared his throat. "Actually, it's not something I'd like for us to discuss in public." He noticed that Zelda looked to the ground, and he pulled her closer. "Let's see if we can get a room at the inn. We can talk about it there."

Tatl flew around the both of them. "Okay."

"Let's go." Link led Zelda to the right, and they walked to East Clock Town.


	16. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Link walked slowly, so Zelda could survey their surroundings. While they were walking, Tatl and Tael flew around them, as if observing them. After a good minute, Link got a little annoyed.

He stopped walking, causing Zelda to stop as well. "What is it?", he asked.

Tatl and Tael stopped flying around them. "What do you mean?", asked Tatl.

"I can tell something is on your mind. You keep watching us."

Tatl hovered in her spot for a moment before answering. "Are you two a couple?"

Link was taken aback at the question. He noticed Zelda remained silent, and stared at the fairies with wide eyes. _Should we tell them? It's just Tatl and Tael. I'm sure they won't tell anyone. Yet, they still noticed, which means that our behavior is obvious. We don't need the entire town to know about it. We'll need to reveal that Zelda's a princess, and soon to be queen, at some point, and then they'll most likely frown upon us being together. Maybe we shouldn't be so close in public._ He removed his arm from around Zelda, which seemed to displease her. She looked at him with a small amount of irritation on her face. Link looked at her apologetically. He then looked back at the fairies. "We'll discuss that in private as well."

Without waiting for a response, Link resumed walking towards the inn. In his peripheral view, he saw Zelda following him, albeit unhappily. They walked in silence the rest of the way.

When they reached the inn, Link opened the door for Zelda and their fairy friends. Zelda still looked miffed, and walked through the door without looking at him. Tael hid on her somewhere. He sighed. _I'll try to make up for this later._ He walked through the door, and felt Tatl hide in his hat.

Immediately, he saw Anju at the counter. The red-haired woman hadn't aged a day. _I'm not surprised. Hylians have long lifespans. I assume it's the same for Terminians._

He walked up to the counter with Zelda in tow. Anju did a double-take, and gasped. "Link? Is that you?"

Link smiled. "Hello, Anju. It's nice to see you again."

Anju placed her hand over her heart, and laughed. "Look at you! You've gotten so big! You turned out to be such a handsome young man."

Link grinned, although he could feel his ears burning. Compliments about him always made him feel embarrassed, except when they came from Zelda. "Thanks."

Anju turned slightly. "Kafei!"

Link heard a faint, "Yes, dear?"

"Come down here! We have some very special visitors!"

Link heard footsteps coming down the stairs, and who emerged from around the corner was a very familiar man with purple hair, and magenta eyes. He already knew that this man was Kafei, but seeing him as an adult was a little shocking to Link.

Kafei looked at their group, and zeroed in on Link. "Link?" Kafei laughed. "Hey! It's been so long!" He walked over and gave Link a side-hug. "You've grown into a fine young man."

Link once again felt his ears burning, and scratched one of them. "Hey, Kafei. It's great to see you too."

Kafei seemed to just then notice Zelda standing off to the side. "Who's this with you?"

Link moved away from Kafei, and over to her. "Her name is Zelda. Say hello, Zel."

Zelda waved to them. "Hello."

"Hello, Zelda.", Anju said. "You have such a pretty name."

Zelda smiled. "Thank you. How do you two know Link?"

Anju smiled warmly. "He saved our marriage."

Zelda blinked. That obviously wasn't the answer she was expecting. "Excuse me?"

Kafei laughed. "It's a long story. Have a seat on that couch, and we'll tell you everything."

So, for the next half hour, Link sat beside Zelda, and watched and listened patiently while Anju and Kafei retold the story of their saved marriage. Link filled in some parts that they didn't know.

"So,", Kafei said. He was now sitting on the counter. "after we united our masks, we gave our couple's mask to Link as thanks."

"Couple's mask?", Zelda asked. She dug around in her satchel. She pulled out said mask. "Do you mean this one?"

Anju gasped. "Yes! That's the one. How did you get it?"

Zelda smiled. "Link gave it to me as a gift."

Both Anju and Kafei looked at Link. He could feel his whole face burning.

Anju squealed. "Aww! Link, you're so charming!"

Kafei grinned at them. "So I take it you two are a couple?"

Link didn't know how to answer. He didn't want to just come out and tell them, but he also didn't want to lie and possibly hurt Zelda's feelings.

Link didn't get a chance to answer, though.

"Of course they're a couple, dear.", Anju said. "Just look at how Link holds Zelda so protectively."

 _What?_ Link looked to his left, and sure enough, he had his arm wrapped around Zelda's shoulders. He had done it without realizing it.

He quickly withdrew his arm, leaving Zelda cross. She narrowed her eyes at him, but didn't say anything.

"Oh, is this supposed to be a secret?" Anju giggled. "Don't worry. We won't tell anyone."

"How long have you two been together?", Kafei asked.

"A day.", Zelda said plainly.

They both looked at her strangely. "A day?", they asked simultaneously.

 _Well, they already know now._ "We knew each other in childhood.", Link said.

Anju smiled warmly. "Aww, young love."

Link could still feel tension from Zelda, so he decided to change the subject. "How have you two been? Has much changed?"

Both Anju and Kafei laughed. "Yes. There has been a very big change.", Anju said. She turned slightly again. "Sofea! Could you come down here, sweetie?"

 _Sofea?_ Link heard small footsteps bounding down the stairs. Once they reached the bottom, Link saw a small head poke out from around the corner, and stare at him and Zelda.

It was a little girl. She looked to be about seven years of age.

"Sofea, come here.", Kafei called.

The little girl walked over to Kafei, and looked up at him.

"This is Link and Zelda. They're friends of ours. Say hello."

She turned around to face them, and waved shyly. "Hello.", she said quietly. She was rather cute. She had long, wavy, red hair that went all the way down her back. Her eyes were a familiar magenta color and filled with the liveliness of a child. Her attire was that of a typical little girl, with a long purple dress, and a green sash with a white stripe tied around the collar. She wore white flats on her tiny feet.

It was clear who she was.

"Link, Zelda, meet our daughter, Sofea."

Zelda was absolutely smitten. "She's so precious!", she squealed.

Sofea's cheeks became rosy. She backed away towards her father a little more. Kafei chuckled. "She's very shy."

Tael seemed to have been curious, because he flew out from his hiding spot on Zelda. Sofea's eyes widened.

"A fairy!", she exclaimed, her face filled with excitement.

Tatl became curious as well, and flew out of Link's hat.

Sofea gasped. "Two fairies!"

Anju giggled. "Sofea absolutely adores fairies. She goes to visit the Great Fairy nearly every day."

Link shuddered a little at mention of the creature.

Tatl and Tael flew around Sofea, making her laugh. This made everyone in the room smile.

"Will you two be staying the night?", Anju asked.

Link nodded. "If it isn't completely booked, yes."

Anju looked at the register. "Well, the Knife Chamber already has a reservation. The room on the end is only meant for large parties. Then there's the employees only room. Which is our room." She looked back up at the two of them. "I can set you up in the room down the hall."

Link was confused. "Isn't that your grandmother's room?"

Anju smiled sadly. "It _was_. She passed away a few years ago."

Link felt guilty for bringing it up. "I'm sorry to hear that."

Anju shook her head. "No, it's fine. She is at peace now." She pulled a key from behind the desk, and passed it to Kafei. He gave it to Link.

"Thank you." Link looked at Zelda, who refused to look back at him. He sighed. "Tatl. Tael."

The fairies stopped circling Sofea.

He looked at them, and gave them a fabricated smile. "Why don't you two stay here and keep Sofea company? Zelda and I must speak in private."

Without answering, the fairies went back to playing with Sofea. Link caught a quick glance at Anju and Kafei's faces. They both seemed concerned. Link shook his head, trying to lead them to believe that everything was fine.

Link walked down the hallway, and Zelda followed him. He stopped in front of the door next to the kitchen, and unlocked it. They both went inside.

The room was exactly as he remembered it, except Anju's grandmother wasn't there, the fire was out, and there weren't any pictures on the wall. The diary was gone as well. The only light in the room was an oil lamp on one of the dressers which, even though it was small, lit the entire room.

Link closed the door behind him, and looked at Zelda. She had her back to him with her arms crossed. He sighed again. He seemed to be doing a lot of that lately.

"I'm sorry, Zelda.", he apologized. "You know it's best if we don't publicly display it." He took a step closer to her. "We'll need to reveal who you really are at some point. They won't approve of us. They'll think it's inappropriate."

Zelda whirled around. She was angry. "I told you that I don't care what they think!" She uncrossed her arms, and placed one hand on her hip. "Link, they aren't even my people."

He took another step closer. "I know Zel, but-"

"No.", she interrupted. She pointed a finger at him. "I won't let you do this. I refuse to. I'll march right out of this inn," She pointed a finger towards the door. "and announce to all of Termina that we're in love if I need to."

Link narrowed his eyes. _She's bluffing._ He gestured to the door as well. "Go on then."

Zelda seemed taken aback at first. Then she seemed to have hardened her resolve. She began walking to the door, and for a second, Link thought she might actually do it. However, she stopped just short of the doorknob.

She looked back at him, irritated. "Alright, so I may not have been serious about that."

"I thought so.", Link said. He walked over and sat on the bed. He motioned for her to sit down on his left. She did, but she had a pouty expression. He wrapped his left arm around her, because his right shoulder was still aching. "I'm not saying that we can't be close at all. Just not in public." He kissed her forehead. "We can be as close as we wish behind closed doors."

Zelda looked up at him. "What about when it's just us out in the field, or when we're travelling?"

Link thought about that. _She has a point. There usually isn't anybody in the field or on the way to the other parts of Termina._ He smiled down at her. "I don't see any harm in it."

Only now did Zelda smile. She laid her head on his shoulder. "I'm still not completely pleased with hiding it, but I suppose this will do for now."


	17. Chapter 16

I think I'm going to start calling you guys my kittens, okay? X3

Anyways, I'm going to be more social to you guys at the start of each chapter.

I like to watch TV while I'm writing, and my favorite channel is TruTV. Who else likes to watch Impractical Jokers? XD I love the show! It makes me laugh so hard. My favorite Joker is Joe. He has absolutely no shame! Who's _your_ favorite Joker?

 **Chapter 16**

Link looked at the rotating wheel on the wall that was used as a clock in Termina. "It's getting late, Zel."

"Is it?", she said, barely stifling a yawn. "Well, then let me heal your wound."

Link nodded, and rose from his seat. He removed the items strapped to him, and then pulled his tunic over his head, wincing as his shoulder ached. He then removed his undershirt, revealing the bandages.

Before he could sit down, however, he heard the door open. He froze.

"Are you two alright?", Anju's voice rang out. "We heard one of you yelling, and suddenly it was quiet. Is everything ok-"

Link had only turned just enough to see Anju's face turn red. "Oh my goodness!"

Link could only imagine what was going through Anju's head as she saw him alone with Zelda and he had no shirt on. He felt his face burning as well. "This isn't what it looks like.", He said in a small panic.

Anju didn't seem to hear him. She immediately shut the door. "I'm so sorry for interrupting you two!" Link heard brisk footsteps leaving the door.

He looked back at Zelda. Her face was red as well. She cleared her throat. "Well then. Let's hurry and heal your wound."

Link nodded and sat down beside her. Zelda untied the bandages, and used her magic. He observed that she became noticeably more tired after doing so. After she was finished, the wound had closed up significantly, and his pain was almost nonexistent. Zelda tied new bandages on the almost fully healed wound. Link kissed her forehead. "Thank you."

She smiled. "You're welcome."

He threw his clothes back on, but left his items on the floor. He sat back down beside her, and pressed a kiss to her lips. "I love you."

She sighed happily. "I love you too." She leaned against him. She was most likely about to fall asleep, but then there was a knock at the door.

"Come in.", Link called.

Kafei stuck his head through the door. He had a confused look on his face. "Do either of you know why my wife is so troubled?"

Link felt his face burning again. "It was a misunderstanding."

The side of Kafei's mouth quirked up in a smirk. "Obviously. She was saying something about indecency."

Link shook his head frantically. "We weren't doing anything indecent!"

Zelda spoke up. "I was dressing his wound."

Kafei became concerned. "A wound? Are you alright?"

Link nodded, glad to divert attention away from the embarrassing topic. "I'm fine now. We had a bad run-in with a bunch of Tektites."

Kafei nodded. "Just let me know if you two need anything." He smirked. "Like maybe a new set of sheets."

Link's face flared up again, and Zelda covered hers with her hands. "Kafei!"

The purple-haired man laughed and shut the door. Link could hear him laughing all the way down the hallway.

Link and Zelda sat in silence. Zelda didn't remove her hands from her face. Link could see her ears were still red.

He cleared his throat, and scratched one of his ears. "I'll… go retrieve Tatl and Tael."

He walked out of the room, and went to the lobby, but they weren't there. _Where are they?_

He noticed a note on the front desk. It read: _Tatl and Tael are staying with Sofea tonight, because she wanted to play with them some more. -Kafei_ There was a footnote. _P.S. Now you two will have the privacy to do whatever you want. Have fun!_

Link pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed, irritated. _I'm beginning to regret helping him all those years ago._ He snatched up the note, and threw it in the nearest wastebin. He walked back to the room, where Zelda had taken off her items and was removing her boots.

"Tatl and Tael are staying with Sofea tonight.", Link said.

Zelda looked at him. "Whatever for?"

"She wanted to play with them a little more."

Zelda nodded. She finished removing her boots, and climbed in the bed. She looked at him as if she were waiting for something.

Something in Link's mind clicked. His eyes widened. "No chance, Zel. I know you like when we slept next to each other, but we just had to convince Anju and Kafei that we weren't doing anything indecent. If they caught us sleeping in the same bed, they'd think that we lied to their faces."

Zelda sighed, but didn't protest. "Where are you going to sleep then?"

Link shrugged, and was glad that his shoulder didn't hurt. "I'll sleep on the floor."

She looked concerned. "Won't that be uncomfortable?"

Link chuckled. "Compared to the places I've slept in before, this is luxurious."

Zelda gave him a small smile. "At least kiss me goodnight."

He grinned. "With pleasure." He bent down and gave her a slow, passionate kiss. Once they parted, Link walked over to the lamp, and blew out the flame. He then made his way over to the side of the bed, and laid down on the floor.

"Goodnight, Hero.", Zelda said.

Link smirked. "Goodnight, Your Highness." The next thing he felt was a pillow slamming into his face. He chuckled. "I love you."

"Love you too.", Zelda muttered. He could hear the humor in her voice.

Link placed the pillow under his head, and merely laid there with sleep not quite coming to him yet. It had only been a few minutes later when he heard Zelda's breathing even out, signaling that she was asleep. Link thought about everything that had happened earlier that day, and the shock of it all had finally come to him.

 _The king is dead, and we are on the run from our own people. Alastor will somehow have complete control of the kingdom in a matter of days. How he'll do it is something I'm not completely sure of._

 _He'll have no need for the Kokiri, for they can't leave the forest. That leaves the Hylians in Kakariko Village, who are mostly indisposed, the Gorons on Death Mountain, the Zoras in Zora's Domain, and the Gerudos of Gerudo Valley. He'll also need to somehow get by Impa, Darunia, Ruto, and Nabooru to get more people on his side._

 _He won't be able to do it easily. He can't control their minds, and they won't simply believe that we betrayed the king. If he does somehow get by Impa and Darunia, it will take him at least a day and a half to meet and convince the villagers and the Gorons, and another half of a day to climb back down the mountain._

 _That's two days._

 _If he goes immediately to the Zora's Domain, it'll take him one day to get there, get past Ruto, convince the Zoras, and get back._

 _Finally, he'll head to Gerudo Valley. I'm assuming he'll go by horse. He won't want to waste time or energy by running there. That will already take up half the day, then of course, he'll need to convince the Gerudo women, which will be no small feat, seeing as they hate men. They may lock him up on sight, which will cause the need for him to convince the Gerudos holding him to set him free, which may take up the rest of the day._

 _That's four days so far._

 _Then, after somehow getting past Nabooru, he'll use that to his advantage to get them to listen, which will take a few hours, give or take, and then make his way back to Hyrule Castle, taking up the rest of_ that _day._

 _Once he's linked minds with all who are willing to fight for him, he'll need to find out where Zelda and I went. He will send out a mass telepathic message inquiring about anything that will help him find us._

 _Hyrule will be crawling with bounty hunters, looking for us so they can get their pay. Thankfully, nobody seems to know of Termina, so we don't need to worry about getting caught here. However, they'll create a problem for when we return to Hyrule, along with the soldiers who will be waiting at any possible place that Alastor suspects we went._

 _In total, that's almost a week, and that's if Alastor pushes himself to work as fast as possible. So, at best we have little over a week to arrange our own troops, and form a strategic plan of attack before he acquires too many allies, making resistance futile._

 _Thankfully, Termina isn't nearly as vast as Hyrule, and hopefully, I can still use the Song of Soaring to quickly bring us closer to our destinations._

 _If we choose our words carefully, we may be able to get the Terminians, Gorons, Zoras, and maybe even the Dekus on our side. I'm not quite sure about the pirates or the Garos, but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it._

 _With strategic planning, we just might be able to obtain Hyrule once again. Giving them their rightful leader, Zelda. This could also benefit her in the long run if we end up making an alliance with Termina._

 _I will tell Zelda all of this tomorrow. If there's anyone wise enough to strategize and lead, it's her._

With that final thought, Link felt his eyelids become heavy, and soon, he drifted off to sleep.


	18. Chapter 17

I decided to treat you, my kittens. Two chapters today!

Today, I gave blood to Red Cross. I've always wanted to help people, and I think that giving blood to save lives is such a generous thing to do. How about you, my kittens? Do any of you like to give back to your community? If so, how?

 **Chapter 17**

Link was in a nightmare.

He was in Hyrule Field, but a horrific scene was laid out before him.

The field was littered with bodies, battered, broken, and bleeding. There was blood everywhere, staining the grass. Broken weapons lay on the ground, some covered in the red fluid. Pieces of armor were scattered all about. He realized that he was wearing armor as well.

As Link looked closer, and he saw several races: Hylians, Gorons, Zoras, Dekus, and Gerudos.

It had been an outright war. It was still ongoing. He watched as the beings who were still alive fought until their last breath.

There was a cluster of warriors near Castle Town's gate, or, what remained of it. Link moved closer, and saw a single Hylian bursting through the ranks, trying to get inside the town.

It was Zelda.

She was using the Gilded Sword he gave her, which was now covered in blood. She cut down everyone who dared to oppose her without a shred of mercy. Link couldn't see her face, for she wore a battle helmet, but he could hear her yelling. What she was yelling, he wasn't sure.

Then suddenly, Alastor appeared from the gate, but he looked different. He looked...more powerful. Link couldn't place the feeling, until he suddenly felt a familiar sensation in his left hand. He looked down in alarm, and saw the Triforce of Courage suddenly glow through his metal covered hand.

The three Triforces were resonating. That could only mean one thing.

Link looked back up at Alastor, only to find that it wasn't him anymore. In his place stood someone Link had sworn he'd defeated, and banished from this realm. However, there was no mistaking that dark skin, red hair, and yellow eyes.

 _Ganondorf._

The evil Gerudo king looked Link in the eye, and smiled evilly. He then looked at Zelda, who didn't seem to notice him. He lifted his hand, and a ball of energy began to form, aimed at her.

Link tried calling her name, but his voice didn't work. He needed to save her! He began running to her, but his legs felt like lead. As he was running, the ball of energy increased in size, and Link was filled with dread as he realized he wouldn't make it there in time.

Suddenly, the energy ball shot off from Ganondorf's palm. It hit Zelda, engulfing her.

Link was filled with despair as he heard Zelda's screams of pain. He was so distracted by her screams, he didn't see the energy ball coming right at him, and just as it hit, he started awake.

He awoke in a cold sweat, breathing heavily. He could still hear Zelda's screams in his mind. After a minute, he realized they weren't just in his mind.

Zelda was actually screaming.

Link shot up off of the floor. With his eyes now adjusted to the darkness, he could see her writhing under the sheets of the bed, screaming in terror.

He quickly went to her and shook her awake. "Zelda!", he called. "Zelda, wake up!"

Her screaming stopped. Her voice came out quiet and weak. "Link?" She sniffed. He felt her slam into him, wrapping her arms around him tightly. He could hear her wailing; her body shaking from fear and sobbing. "Link! It was horrible!"

He tried to comfort her by wrapping his arms around her shivering form. "It was only a nightmare, Zel."

She sobbed again. "I saw my father get killed again. I saw Hyrule Field in the midst of war. I saw you..." She choked out another sob. "die in my arms." She began wailing again.

Link hugged her tightly, unable to say anything. He stroked her hair, and they simply stayed like that for what felt like hours. Link had to admit that _he_ was shaking as well. The events of his nightmare had disturbed him. He also feared of events to come. He and Zelda having nightmares on the same night was deemed prophetic. They both had nightmares about Ganondorf before he took over the kingdom, and now, Link saw Ganondorf in his nightmare. He could only hope that Zelda didn't.

He needed to ask. He pulled Zelda away from him. "Zelda."

She didn't say anything, but he knew she was listening.

"You didn't see… Ganondorf, did you?"

Zelda shook her head. "No." She sniffed. "I saw Hyrule Field covered in carcasses. Then I saw you battling Alastor. He had gotten so much more powerful somehow. He was wearing you down, and eventually, he delivered a fatal blow." She sobbed. "I saw you fall, and I rushed over to you. I held your head in my lap, and you just... died." She wailed again, wrapping her arms around him.

He embraced her tightly, and continued stroking her hair. _Since Zelda didn't see Ganondorf, then that may mean that we won't need to deal with him after all. However, she_ did _see Hyrule Field as I had, and she also said that Alastor had gotten more powerful. If this turns out to be true, which it most likely will, we need to find out what makes Alastor more powerful, and what we can do to stop him._

He held Zelda until she calmed down. When her wailing was reduced to sniffles, Link spoke to her again. "We should get back to sleep."

She whimpered. "Don't make me sleep again. I don't want to have another nightmare."

His heart felt heavy, but she needed her sleep. He didn't want to leave her by herself. Even though he said that they shouldn't, he decided that since she was so frightened, he would sleep next to her. "I'll stay with you this time. Maybe that will help."

He felt her nod her head against his chest. She laid down on the bed, and he laid beside her, facing her. He kicked his boots off, and pulled the sheets over the both of them. He kissed her forehead, and she sighed. They grasped each other's hand.

"I love you.", she whispered.

He smiled slightly. "I love you too." He waited until her breathing evened out. Only then did he let sleep take him.

Thankfully, the rest of the night was a peaceful one.

Link woke up feeling better than he had been, partly because he hadn't had another nightmare and also because he had woken up to the most beautiful sight in the world.

Zelda seemed to be sleeping peacefully. Her face was relaxed and content. Her hair fell slightly in her face, but she didn't seem to be bothered by it. Link realized that their hands had remained joined through the night.

Link was satisfied with simply laying there and watching her sleep until she woke up, but he knew that they needed to begin their journey as soon as possible. He gently shook her.

She moaned, but didn't wake up. He chuckled. _She sure is a heavy sleeper. I know what will wake her up, though._

He leaned in and sealed his lips over hers in a long, slow kiss. After a few seconds he felt her return the kiss. He smiled, and broke away.

She sighed happily and opened her eyes. "That is a wonderful way to wake up."

He chuckled again. "I'm glad you think so. Good morning."

She giggled. "Good morning."

"Did you sleep well?"

She smiled slightly. "Only after you were with me."

He frowned. "Try not to worry about your dream. Worrying about it will only make things worse."

Zelda bit her lip. "Link, did you have a nightmare as well?"

Link had been debating on whether to tell her or not. He realized that he shouldn't lie about it just to keep her from worrying. _She knows what it means when we both have nightmares._ He nodded. "Yes."

As he predicted, she became worried. "What did you see?"

Link sat up and told her of his nightmare. When he was finished, Zelda was sitting up as well, and contemplating what it meant.

"I don't quite know why you saw Ganondorf. It could just be a bad memory resurfacing, like how I saw my father. However, since Alastor was much more powerful in our nightmares, we should be wary of this fact."

Link nodded. "You're right. While we're making a plan, we must take into account the extent of his powers. In person, we saw he only had the ability to bend minds, but who knows what he can actually do?"

"We should get moving as soon as possible. We most likely don't have long before Alastor has complete control of the kingdom."

"Roughly a week.", Link said.

Zelda looked at him. "How could you possibly know that?"

Link told her of his theory from the night before. Zelda listened carefully, and once he was finished, she pondered his conjecture.

"Well, that means at best we have a little over a week, maybe ten days, before he manages to take the kingdom."

"It's best if we attack them while they're unprepared."

Zelda shook her head sadly. "I can't believe we are about to go to war with my own people."

Link looked down. "They're not your people, Zel. Not right now. A small part of them chose to believe Alastor, and that's how he managed to take hold."

"What about the people who chose not to believe him? Surely there are some who didn't believe him whatsoever. Like the Gorons? They listen to whatever Darunia says, and if he says that you didn't do it, then surely they believe that."

Link shook his head. "I have a feeling that Alastor has a plan for the sages, so they won't interrupt his wicked schemes. Even though he can't bend their minds, I know that won't stop him. As for anyone who still chooses not to believe him, they won't last long. Alastor will most likely throw them in the castle dungeon. He won't kill them. That will raise suspicion among the others, and cause their loyalty to wane."

Zelda became hopeful. "Do you think that if we can somehow prove that everything Alastor says is a lie, we can maybe get people back on our side?"

"Maybe, Zel, but that would mean we would need to travel back to Hyrule, into enemy territory. We'd need to be extremely careful of how we travel, and who we talk to. That would probably be our last chance if we can't get all of the soldiers together in time, or if we lose. I hope to the goddesses that it won't come to that, though. We're asking people of a different kingdom to wage war against another kingdom that hasn't done a thing to them. They'll be risking their lives for our needs. If we lose, then they will have risked their lives needlessly."

"Then we'll just need to try our best."

He ran a hand through his hair. "I'm starting to think that we shouldn't be asking for their help. What would we even say to them, Zel? 'Come help us fight a war that you have no reason to be in'?"

"Well, it was your idea in the first place. What do you suggest we do? Try to infiltrate the castle ourselves?"

Link shook his head. "Only as an absolute last resort. If all else fails, I'll go down trying to stop Alastor myself."

Zelda looked down. "I know." She looked him in the eyes. "Then we can only try to convince the people of Termina to help us. If they still won't help us, then we will do our best on our own."

Link admired her determination. "You're right." He nodded. "Then we need to be going."

Zelda nodded as well. Link rose from the bed, went over to the lamp, and lit it. Light filled the room, and they both went about getting ready. Once they had pulled on their boots and strapped on their items, Zelda turned to Link.

"Is my hair disheveled?", she asked.

Link found this funny, and he began to laugh.

She looked at him, confused. "What is so amusing?" She gasped, alarmed. "Is it that bad?"

He shook his head, and grinned at her. "I just think it's comical that you would ask _me_ that."

She raised an eyebrow. "What makes you think that?"

He shrugged. "I suppose it's because I think you always look perfect." He pecked her on the lips.

She giggled. "You are terribly coquettish. Did you know that?"

He smirked and wrapped his arms around her. "Only you bring it out in me. I was never like this until recently."

She laid her head back on his shoulder. "Is that so? Here I thought you were always like this. The way you would always hold my hand, embrace me, or bring my face up to yours. You would always be so close to me. I honestly don't know why I didn't realize it before."

"Then it's only for you.", he whispered in her ear.

She grinned. She may have been about to say something, but it died in her throat as there was a knock on the door.

 _At least they learned to not simply barge in._ He let go of Zelda begrudgingly. "Come in."

Anju hesitantly poked her head through the door. She looked at them in surprise. "Oh! You're already awake. I came to tell you two that it was morning."

"Thank you, Anju. That was nice of you.", Zelda said. "We do need to be leaving."

Anju nodded. "I'll go get Tatl and Tael." She left.

Link looked at Zelda. "Are you ready?"

She smiled. "Yes."

They both walked over to the door, and Link opened it, letting Zelda through first. As they walked by the stairs, Link felt something small slam into his head.

"Ow!", it said. It was Tael.

"Tael!", came Tatl's voice. "Watch where you're going! You flew right into Link! Are you okay, Link?"

Link chuckled. "I'm fine."

"Are you alright, Tael?", Zelda asked.

The purple fairy circled Zelda's head. "Yeah, I'm okay."

Sofea bounded down the steps. "Bye Tatl! Bye Tael!"

The two fairies flew around the little girl. "Bye, Sofea!", they both said. Tatl and Tael flew into Link and Zelda's hats respectively.

Sofea looked to the two Hylians waiting patiently, and grinned. "Thank you for letting me play with them, Mr. Link and Ms. Zelda!"

Zelda kneeled down to look the girl in her eyes. "You're welcome, Sofea. Next time we stay here, Tatl and Tael can stay with you again, okay?"

Sofea's eyes widened. "Really?"

Link kneeled as well, and placed a hand on her head, ruffling her hair a bit. "Sure thing, kiddo. Just be good for your parents, okay?"

She laughed happily. "Thank you!" She jumped up and hugged Link around his neck.

Though surprised, Link grinned. "You're welcome, Sofea."

She let go, and started her way back up the stairs. "Bye, bye!" She waved, and turned the corner.

Zelda giggled and stood up. "She is absolutely adorable."

Link straightened up as well. "She sure is."

They began to walk towards the door leading out of the inn. "I didn't get to see many children in Castle Town often.", Zelda said.

Link smiled. "Kids are pretty great. They always seem to be cheerful and playing around. It always seems to bring a smile to anyone's face."

They walked by the front desk, and waved goodbye to Anju and Kafei. They walked out the door. "You like children?", Zelda asked.

Link chuckled. "Obviously. Coming from someone who was a child twice, and lives with a race that remains children forever, it's kind of impossible not to."

They turned left, and went up the steps next to the inn. Zelda giggled. "I suppose that's true, but spending time with children is different from actually having them, I hope you know."

Link looked at her, bemused. "Having them?"

Zelda nodded. "Yes. You could like children, but not want to have any."

Link turned thoughtful. "I suppose that's true." He smirked at her. "And do you want to have any children, Zel?"

Zelda's eyes widened, and a cute rosy blush crept up on her face. "Oh… well, maybe someday."

Link grinned. "Oh really? How many?"

"Link!", Zelda squeaked. She swatted his arm, and he began to laugh. She looked to the ground, embarrassed. "Where are we going, anyway?"

Link looked at her, amused. "To the mayor's office."


	19. Apologies!

**NOT A CHAPTER**

Okay, okay, okay. Please don't kill me. There's a method to the madness I've been causing all of you.

I've been trying to just complete the story and post it all when I'm done. It's hard to keep up a schedule for this and add it to my everyday life, so I've been trying to get as much done as possible.

Unfortunately, it's taking longer than I thought, and I've got writer's block. Please, I need inspiration. Look at the story from where I've left off, and message me any ideas you might have. Also, if you have any questions or comments about the story so far, all reviews are greatly appreciated.

So, don't give up on me. I'm trying my best, and I know you guys want more. Just be patient. We'll get there.

With love,

Peace Kitty-Kat


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